The Beauty Out Of Ashes
by eternitysstories
Summary: AU: Elijah Mikaelson has known plenty of grief in his long life, but none quite like what he feels now with loss of his wife, Eternity Mikaelson. He has to be strong for his young daughter in this difficult time, but it's hard...so incredibly hard. As he tries to not fall apart from his terrible agony, he is haunted by the past and he has to wonder can beauty come out of ashes?
1. Chapter 1: In His Grief

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

**Author's Note**: Welcome to the first installment of my newest Elijah x Eternity fic! This fic will feature bits of TO episodes throughout. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Elijah Mikaelson stood at the window of his study with a drink in his hand as quiet tears rolled down his face. He had just received terrible news: Eternity was missing and presumed dead on the battlefield. There wasn't a body, but that was because she had been engulfed in the energy of the Unicorn Crystal and had simply vanished in the aftermath.

The Lady Veren had come to tell him about his wife's fate. He had felt like he had been punched in the gut when she told him about Eternity's supposed death. He remembered he had collapsed on the couch, unable to stand on his own two feet. The rest of his family had been around to hear the devastating news as well. Tears and expressions of mourning had gone around the room, as each of them feeling the loss almost as deeply as he did.

When he had found the strength, Elijah had fled the common room for his study. He wanted a moment of solitude, away from everyone and everything. He needed the time to sort through his devastated emotions, to collect himself.

He hadn't known his long he stood there, because time had no meaning to him in his grief.

"Elijah," Hayley called to him suddenly, breaking the quiet, as she approached him. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, me too," he muttered with a shaky voice.

She sighed quietly, unsure of what to say. They simply stood together in silence for a time.

Then the female hybrid ventured, "I'll miss her. I'll never forget how E helped me through my grief when I had to give away Hope when she was a baby. She put on a mini concert. She sang that beautiful song for me. After she had told me that music can help one through their pain. Surprisingly, though a bit corny, it had helped, not just with the loss of my baby, but with my transition into a hybrid too. She was so gentle, so kind, so full of light. She helped us all at one time or another. There will definitely be a hole in this family without her."

"Yes, there will be," replied Elijah, looking over at Hayley, tears still steadily flowing from his eyes. "How am I to go on without her?"

She gazed at him with empathy as she gave a gentle shrug, "I don't know. One day at a time, I suppose."

He said nothing in reply, not really up to having a long term conversation.

Sensing he was done talking, Hayley took her leave of him, leaving him alone with his grief once more.

Elijah thought about what she told him, finding himself reminiscing about that time the lady hybrid had mentioned. There was a small, sad smile upon his lips as he did:

_They had successfully secured the twelve moonlight rings from the Guerrera wolf pack and thus restoring Niklaus's strength, while exacting revenge upon those filthy beasts for trying to kill baby Hope. In the aftermath of the battle, Hayley had come home from ending Francesca as upset as she had been in the months leading up to that moment. She had gone into the nursery and had begun tearing apart the crib in an angry fit. _

_Elijah and Eternity had both gone to investigate the commotion and had found her there. They had looked at each other with concern and worry, before he moved forward to try and calm her._

"_Hey," he called to her, "Hayley! Please!"_

_When she wouldn't settle, he tried to reach for her, but Hayley backed away from him sharply as though she had been burnt. She breathed heavily with exertion and had an appearance of exhaustion, as well as disgust as she gazed at him, while he had continued to gaze at her with concern and worry._

"_I killed her," Hayley confessed quietly. "Francesca looked me in the eye and begged me for her life as I tore her apart. But I don't feel better! I don't feel peace! I don't feel anything!"_

_He tried to comfort her, "It's perfectly natural given what you're experiencing -."_

"_Nothing about what I am, Elijah, is natural," she shouted._

_The Original saw how distraught Hayley was and tried again to calm her by explaining, "As a hybrid, you will begin to experience feelings with a greater intensity. It will take time to master control."_

_The female hybrid shook her head, "I don't want to live like this, Elijah. I hate it! When I was living with the Crescents in the Bayou, I finally understood the... purity of being a wolf... the nobility." She paused for a moment, before she continued, "I killed eight wolves tonight before I got to Francesca. Eight of my own people. What's noble about that? I acted no better than a..."_

"_...Than a vampire?" Elijah finished for her, sadly._

"_Everything has changed. I was a mother, and now I'm a monster." Hayley murmured, on the verge of tears. _

_It was here that Eternity stepped in, having watched the scene unfold quietly up to that point. "Hayley, my darling," she called to her softly. "I understand you, what you are going through, for I have been where you are, once upon a time. Despite my great powers, I cannot save you from what you are feeling. There is no magical healing to fix this, but perhaps I can help in a different way, even if only in a temporary relief."_

_Elijah looked at his lady curiously as did Hayley. _

_The ethereal beauty gestured with her head for the female hybrid to follow her, "Come. Come with me."_

_Then Eternity left the room, somehow knowing that Hayley was going to follow her. Both Elijah and she went with the immortal queen, each curious as to what she was up to. She lead them down the hall to the music room, where a grand piano sat. _

_His lady went and sat at it, patting the bench next to her for Hayley to sit beside her. The female hybrid went without question and sat down, while Eternity rested her hands on the keys. Elijah leaned against the door jamb to watch them._

"_You know, this is a small gesture, but one that I think might help," the pale woman told Hayley with a soft smile. "I have found in my long life that music has a way of helping in the healing process. I know it did for me in the aftermath of losing my twin infants, who were slaughtered in their crib, and falling, then coming out of a terrible darkness. I grieved my loss and felt like a monster in those days that followed returning to myself, but I found a semblance of peace in music. It comforted me. Perhaps, it will help you too."_

_Then Eternity began to play, singing as well, a song that asked the question: can beauty come out of ashes?_

_The answer in that moment had been: yes, it can. After that performance, Hayley and Niklaus had grown closer. They stopped avoiding each other and began to lean on one another, becoming quite the dynamic duo. Eventually, through many trials and tribulations, they finally confessed their love for each other and ended up getting married. _

Returning to the present, Elijah heard his infant daughter, Arianna Mikaelson, crying and put aside his grief to go to her. He went into his bedroom, heading into an adjoining room that served as his daughter's nursery. He smiled through the tears that still threatened to fall as he picked up the tiny three month old and cradled her to him.

He went and sat in the rocking chair with her, shushing her gently as he continued to reminisce. This time, he recalled one of the most magical moments of his long life:

_Elijah had come into the nursery to witness his wife feeding their little newborn from her breast, as she rocked gently in the wooden rocking chair Niklaus had gifted them for the new addition to the family. She was smiling lovingly at the miracle child, born thanks to Eternity's magical ingenuity, allowing Elijah the ability to procreate with her. He stopped in the doorway at the beautiful sight of his two ladies. It took his breath away._

_Then he moved into the room, going to his wife and child joyously. He came to stand beside them, watching over them with a smile all his own._

"_Isn't she beautiful, Elijah?" Eternity asked him, never taking her eyes off the small creature that suckled at her breast. _

"_Yes, the most beautiful," he murmured quietly. "Just as beautiful as her mother."_

_The ethereal beauty finally tore her eyes away from the infant to smile up at him. "No, as beautiful as her father," she corrected him. "She looks like a mirror image of you, my love. She has your features, including your dark hair. Yes, she is definitely Daddy's little twin."_

_The Original and his lady both beamed, first at each other and then at Ari. Elijah hadn't ever felt anything as profound as the joy he felt in that moment. _

In the present, Elijah looked down at his slightly bigger infant daughter and found that she had fallen asleep on him. He smiled softly at her, while fighting the urge to break down. He didn't want his sobs to wake her, as he knew that once he started he wouldn't be able to stop.

He hated the idea of their daughter growing up never knowing her mother, but with Eternity presumed dead on some far off world, it seemed likely that she wouldn't. They were supposed to raise their daughter together, to give her siblings to play with. Yet, with his wife's death, all those dreams were up in smoke. Their future together was gone.

Could beauty come out of these ashes that was his loss? Elijah Mikaelson didn't believe so. What beauty could come from such devastation and grief?

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2: The Birth of Ari

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

**Author's Note**: Just as a heads up, the flashbacks in this fic are not linear. Also, this chapter features dialogue from TO Season 4.

* * *

In the days that followed finding out about Eternity's death, Elijah found himself reminiscing quite often. Everywhere he went, everywhere he looked, there was something that brought forth the memories of the past. He was constantly haunted by the ethereal beauty, as if she refused to let him forget her for a moment. Not that he could ever forget. Not that he ever would forget.

The ghost of Eternity was always near by, always bringing forth things from their shared past.

One such incident took place in the Mikaelson compound courtyard. As the Original stood alone at the mini bar with a drink in hand, a memory came forward involuntarily, one that took place only a little more than a year ago:

_The Hollow, an ancient and vengeful spirit, was the latest enemy of the Mikaelson clan and it was targeting Elijah's young niece, Hope. The family was in a panic, trying to decide how they were going to defeat such a powerful and unfamiliar enemy. _

_Normally, Eternity would have dealt with this creature herself, but at the moment, she was nine months pregnant, nearly ready to give birth, and Elijah refused to involve her. He feared for both his wife and his unborn baby, if he allowed her to take on the Hollow._

_Therefore, they had called on their reluctant witch ally, Vincent Griffith, to help them defeat the ancient spirit, since the witch was the only one who had dealt with it before._

"_The Hollow has been haunting New Orleans for centuries" Vincent explained to the gatherer Mikaelsons, save for Eternity, whom was in bed resting, and Kol, who was not in New Orleans at the time. "It's an unending evil. Its appetite for power is insatiable. And that's what attracted it to your little girl." He looked at Niklaus specifically then._

"_You said there was a way to save her," said the hybrid._

_The witch nodded, "There is, but I'm gonna tell you right now, you are not gonna like my plan."_

_The Mikaelsons looked at each other with worry at his words. It never did bode well when Vincent told them that they weren't going to like what he had to say._

"_Step one: we pull the Hollow out of Hope," the witch told them. "Step two: we find someplace else to put it. But with the book gone, I need a place that's both powerful and eternal. And in order to make the transition work, I'm gonna need something that's connected to Hope through blood."_

"_You need a vampire," Freya concluded and then realized what her witch friend wanted to do. "You want to put the Hollow into one of my siblings?"_

_He looked at her and said, "One ain't gonna cut it. I'm gonna need four of them."_

_Freya gave her head a slight shake in disbelief, but said nothing in reply._

_Elijah spoke then to ask, "Why four of us?"_

"_Well, 1,500 years ago, when the Hollow was first killed, they divided her remains," Vincent explained to him. "Four bones, four volunteers, four different locations. That's how we're going to beat the Hollow now."_

"_Transfer the Hollow's power into four immortal vampires," Freya said._

"_And just send us on our way," added Rebekah._

_Niklaus also added, " So the evil is drawn, quartered and separated for all time."_

"_And you have to go your separate ways, and you have to stay separate," Vincent firmly said. "For all time."_

_Elijah looked at Niklaus and his brother looked back at him. They both knew that the two of them remaining separated forever was an impossibility. Out of all the Mikaelson siblings, they were the closest to each other and they could never stay parted for more than a couple hundred years maximum._

"_We can never see each other again," the former witch regent said. "Can never go near each other again."_

_The four present Mikaelsons looked at each other again. Rebekah was in shock, Freya was frustrated that it had come to this, while the two Original brothers had mixed feelings. It would save Hope, but to stay separated for all time was a bit much._

"_That is the only way that we're gonna beat the Hollow," concluded Vincent._

"_Well, if it'll save my little girl, then we will make it so," Niklaus reluctantly, but bravely decided._

"_Like hell you are," called a most irate Eternity from the doorway._

_All of them turned to look at her with surprise to see her there. _

_None were more surprised than Elijah. He watched as she huffed and puffed, bracing against the door jamb as she tried to catch her breath. With the baby nearly fully grown in her womb, walking, even a short distance, had become like running a marathon to her. It was the exact reason why he had sent her to rest. _

"_Eternity, what are you doing down here?" He quietly demanded as he approached her. "You're supposed to be upstairs resting."_

_Eternity only glared at him as she waited until she wasn't so winded to say, "Oh please, Elijah. The only reason why you put me on bed rest was because you were planning on doing something incredibly stupid and you didn't want me involved since you knew that I would step in to do whatever I had to in order to keep us together."_

_He sighed heavily, "That's not true. I put you on bedrest, because you need it. However, if you must know, this is the only way to protect our niece and destroy the Hollow, Sweetheart, as you are in no condition to take on this task. You can barely stand upright as it is."_

"_And what then? After you lot do this and our family is unnecessarily fractured?" She asked him venomously. "Are we to raise our child in some far off land, without her ever knowing her aunts and uncles? Without her learning what always and forever is? No, I'm not about to stand by and let you do this. I'm pregnant, not dying, and I will save us all."_

"_You would risk your life and the life of that baby to defeat the Hollow?" Vincent chimed in with disbelief, looking at Eternity as if she were insane. "Instead of taking the less dangerous path that would protect you both?"_

_The pale immortal gazed past Elijah at the witch as she rolled her eyes and said to him, "Nothing will happen to me or my baby. I know perfectly well as to how to guard both of us well. Besides, the Hollow is nothing compared to me, even in my delicate state. It will be a quick and painless operation to destroy it and save young Hope - and the world."_

"_And what makes you think any of us would allow you to go through with this plan?" Niklaus spoke next, coming up to her and Elijah. "I love my daughter and I want her safe, but I will not let you put your own child in harm's way for it."_

_Eternity snorted, "As of you can stop me, Nik. Even as I am, you're not strong enough to take me. None of you are."_

"_Yes, yes, you're powerful and incredibly stubborn," Rebekah piped up with annoyance. "We get it, but that doesn't mean we won't try to keep you from doing this."_

_Elijah's wife smiled at the blonde Original._

"_What if Vincent and I helped you, E," Freya intervened. "We could pool our powers together. That way you aren't using all of your strength and putting strain on your body."_

_Eternity brightened at the Mikaelson witch's suggestion. "Ah! See? A compromise," she agreed to the suggestion, as she looked at her exasperated husband. "Splendid. Now, show me your enemy, if you don't mind, so that this pregnant lady can return to her bed rest."_

_Elijah hated the idea, despite the compromise set in place, thanks to Freya. He was a protective husband and father-to-be, who didn't want his wife to put herself in danger, no matter if she could protect herself and their baby. However, he knew that there wasn't anything he could say or do to stop his stubborn lady from doing what she felt she had to. _

_Therefore, after they all agreed to the compromise, Niklaus went to collect Hope and Hayley, bringing them into the inner courtyard and having his wife lay their unconscious daughter on the ground. Eternity waddled over to the little girl, pausing briefly to catch her breath, before she joined hands with Freya and Vincent and together, they removed the Hollow from Hope's body and Eternity channeled the powers of the two witches, using them with her own to erase the Hollow from existence forever. _

_Once Hope awoke, there was a great collective sigh of relief, knowing that the girl was safe now. Everyone smiled and laughed joyfully, as the little girl hugged her grateful parents. Eternity stood by Elijah's side as they too watched the touching scene with happiness. Though he was still disapproving of her risky decision, he was glad that their family would remain whole instead of being separated for all of time._

_He smiled at her softly and kissed the side of her head in gratitude, as he held her to him with one arm around her waist._

_Then the happy moment was disrupted when Eternity gave a sudden sharp cry of pain and doubled over, drawing everyone's attention to her. She held her belly as she gave another pained cry, groaning as she said, "I think the baby is coming."_

Presently, Elijah paused in his remembrance as he heard his sister Freya coming down into the courtyard with his daughter in her arms. The Mikaelson witch had been spending some time with his child, helping him in the caring for her, while he grieved his loss. He found himself smiling softly, as she cooed at the infant happily, as she cradled her. His older sister saw him and came over.

"I fed and changed her already," she told him, as she smiled down at the infant. "I thought perhaps she'd like a little fresh air and brought her down here for a change of scenery."

The Original smiled gratefully at her, before gently reaching to take his daughter from her arms. He grinned lovingly down at Ari, kissing her little cheek and nuzzling her. "Thank you, Freya, for looking after her for me," he said, looking up at his sister.

Freya smiled, "It's no trouble. She is a sweet baby, something I knew the moment I helped deliver her."

"Yes, we were lucky to have you that day," Elijah said as he held his child close.

"That day had been a hectic one indeed," nodded the Mikaelson witch with a small laugh. "One crisis after another."

The Original agreed, being pulled back into his previous reminiscing:

_Immediately, Elijah helped his wife up the stairs to their bedroom, where, months ago, they had decided she would give birth when the time came. It wasn't like they could take her to a hospital anyway, being an otherworldly being and all. Besides, there was something poetic about Eternity giving birth to their child in the place where she was conceived. _

_Freya, Rebekah, and Hayley followed them up hurriedly, while Vincent, Niklaus, and Hope stayed behind. _

_Once in their bedroom, he helped Eternity into bed, while Freya set to work, taking charge of the situation and requesting her sister and sister-in-law to gather the supplies she'd need to deliver his child. While the three women prepared for what was to come, Elijah held onto his wife, laying in the big bed beside her with her hand in his, as she experienced another painful contraction. _

_He kissed her head and cooed to her, to give her some sort of comfort in her agony. He did this for hours, as they waited for time to come for the delivery. _

_Freya checked on her progress now and again, while Rebekah provided a magical epidural once every hour to make the pain more bearable and Hayley dabbed Eternity's forehead with a cool washcloth. _

_Then, finally, it was time for the show to start, as it were. Elijah held on tightly to his wife's hand, as Freya instructed Eternity on when to push. He, Rebekah, and Hayley all acted as the immortal queen's cheerleaders, encouraging her excitedly through the process until there was a shrill baby's cry that echoed through the room, signaling a successful birth of their baby girl._

_Exhausted, Eternity slumped back on the bed, thankful that it was over and excited to see their daughter for the first time. "I want my baby," she murmured to him, as he kissed her lips in happiness. _

"_Freya and Hayley are cleaning her up right now," Rebekah informed her with a congratulatory smile. "She'll be in your arms shortly. In the meantime, have you thought of a name for her?"_

"_Arianna Mikaelson," breathed the tired immortal with a weak smile of her own._

_Just then, Freya came back over with their newborn wrapped in a baby blanket and handed her over to Eternity, who took the tiny infant readily and gazed at her with a mother's love. _

_Elijah never felt prouder or happier than he did in that moment, as he looked upon the face of the child he thought he'd never have. It brought joyful tears to his eyes, as he cradled close to both of his ladies. _

"_Thank you, Freya, for delivering her," Eternity said, as she continued to stare at their child. "It means a lot to me and I know I will never forget it."_

"_You're welcome," the Mikaelson witch nodded. "Congratulations to you both."_

Back in the present, Elijah allowed his sister to enjoy the rest of the day baby free, wanting to spend time with his little girl. He held her and talked to her, despite knowing the child couldn't understand. All this reminiscing had him missing Eternity all the more. He wished that his wife was there to be with Ari and him.

Yet, she was not and may not be ever again, if she was truly gone.

He still held onto hope that some miracle would occur and news would come that his wife was alive, after all. No matter how folly it may have been, he wasn't ready to let go of that hope, clinging to it, as if it were a lifeline, keeping him from completely falling apart.

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter 3: The Wake Up Call

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

**Author Note**: This chapter features dialogue from TO Season 4.

* * *

As the days became weeks and weeks to months, Elijah's longing grief for his wife only grew. He watched their daughter grow, feeling heartbreak at the knowledge that Eternity was missing it all. His only salvation was the hope that there was an afterlife for immortals like her and she was watching over them. He had stopped hoping that she was alive. He didn't have the strength to believe that anymore.

While he sat on the floor as his now six month old daughter sat in front of him with some of her toys, the Original found himself remembering another time. It had been a time he had missed her and had wished she had been with him while she had been away on a mission:

_Elijah had committed a terrible crime, killing Marcel by tearing his heart from his chest, during a tense confrontation on the bridge in which the honorary Mikaelson had shown he had Lucian Castle's upgrade serum. He had done it to protect his family, in Eternity's absence. She had been away for a while with no telling of when she would return. _

_They were desperate and he had acted accordingly._

_Well, it had proved to be a miscalculation on his part as Marcel had already taken some of the serum before the confrontation, leading him to being resurrected as an upgraded vampire, one capable of killing an Original. From the betrayal, the younger vampire started a war, which caused Elijah and Kol to be bitten by him. Rebekah had already been priorly hexed and would eventually go mad anyway. Meanwhile, Freya had been poisoned by one of Marcel's vampires._

_The entire family was in jeopardy, a new and unfamiliar experience, to be sure._

_It was a desperate time for the Mikaelsons, leading to an ingenious saving grace in the form of a spell that put the dying Mikaelsons to sleep, tethered to Niklaus's life force, while allowing them to remain together in a Chambre de Chasse until Hayley found cures for them. _

_The entire time Elijah was inside that mental world, he wished and prayed that Eternity would return to save them all, missing her greatly, as they waited to be rescued from their plight._

_It took nearly five years for the ethereal beauty to swoop in and come to their aid, but save them she did. She used her purifying powers to cure them of all that ailed them, while Freya, whom was cured first, and Hayley took on the group of vampires that sought to destroy the Mikaelsons once and for all inside an old warehouse. _

_Once Elijah was awake, he he sat up in his coffin and kissed Eternity deeply upon seeing her face. Afterward, she offered him her blood, knowing he needed it after being asleep for five years. He bit her neck, drank her sweet sustaining blood quickly. Then together, they joined the fight, killing the rest of the vampires working with Marcel in swift and merciless justice._

Back in the present, the Original smiled fondly at his daughter. He wondered if Ari would grow up and have her mother's extraordinary powers. She was a bit of a mystery there, as there had never been a vampire/unicorn child born before her. There wasn't any telling what kind of creature she would be when she was older.

Even so, Elijah believed that whatever she became, she would be their family's guardian angel, protecting them as fiercely as Eternity had, after she, Hayley, and Freya had saved their vampire brethren and then proceeded to take back what had been taken from them:

_As Elijah burned the bodies of the dead vampires they had slain, he stood with Eternity and Hayley as they watched the flames dance. He held his lady to him with one arm wrapped securely around her shoulders, as the three of them talked._

"_The two of you saved us," Elijah said with gratitude. "All of us. I guess Kol and Rebekah couldn't contain their hunger."_

"_No, but then again, they don't have my immortal blood at their disposal," quipped Eternity with a smile, as she tenderly grabbed hold of his hand that hung over her shoulder. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't here to save you before it came to...all this, but Hayley here was a great guardian. She deserves most of credit in this, due to my unfortunate long term absence."_

_Hayley grinned, "Yeah, I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"_

_Elijah and Eternity both laughed lightly._

"_The best, my dear, the very best," the ethereal beauty nodded._

_They laughed together again._

"_Well, Hayley, please tell me how is my niece?" Elijah asked the female hybrid then._

_Hayley grinned, "She's amazing. She's healthy. Happy. She's the perfect little girl. And she made me promise that one day she'd get her family back. All of them."_

_The Original smiled, "A child after my own heart."_

"_Then there's just one person left," Eternity said meaningfully._

_The female hybrid nodded, "Yes, my husband."_

"_Let's go get him," he murmured firmly, determined to rescue his little brother._

_From there, the three of them plus Freya went in search of Rebekah and Kol. They met up with them tracking a prison bus full of convicts. Before they had attacked, Eternity had suggested openly that the hungry vampires have her blood since it would quell their need to feed and make them stronger than ever before. However, Elijah had shot it down with a possessive growl, telling her quietly that nobody was allowed to feed from her, except for him._

_Therefore, as morning came upon them, the three vampires fed from the prisoners of the bus they had hijacked. Elijah had joined them, despite not really needing to feed. He wanted to make sure he was ready for the fight that might lay ahead in the rescue of Niklaus._

_After that, they had devised their plan, sneaking into New Orleans with Rebekah distracting Marcel, while Elijah. Eternity, Hayley, and Freya went to rescue their hybrid brother. It had been easy with the powerful immortal's abilities to sense him out and then break through the barrier that held the hybrid captive. _

_Then Marcel came to try and stop them, but Elijah's lady intervened in that too. She used her powers to remove the upgrade serum that coursed through the younger vampire, before threatening to end him if he didn't stand down and let them all go._

_Of course, he was intelligent enough to know when he was beaten and stood aside, allowing Niklaus to go free with his family._

In present-day, the Original recalled that had been a time when beauty had come out of ashes. The Mikaelsons had been defeated, but in the end, they had risen out of those dark and uncertain times, as a family intact. And it was thanks to Eternity and Hayley that they had made it through.

Without them, all might have been lost.

Elijah remembered how that had been when he had decided his lady should become his wife.

For two hundred years, he and her had had an on-off romantic relationship. They would meet, fall in love, and then fall apart again, over and over. Though, that up and down business had ended permanently, ever since he had come to New Orleans to help Niklaus take on those who conspired against him. They had reunited quickly and stayed together from then on, facing the storms of his family as one unit.

However, in all that time, marriage had been the furthest from his mind. It hadn't been that he didn't love Eternity nor want to spend forever with her. He had simply never considered it because his disease in searching for Niklaus's redemption had taken priority.

Yet, that business with Marcel had changed everything, it had been like a wake up call and Elijah and begun to rethink not making his lady into his wife:

_Once Niklaus had been rescued from Marcel's hold and they had fled to the safe house Hayley had been using for the past five years, the Mikaelsons and Eternity sat or stood on the wrap around porch, waiting for Hope to awaken the following morning from their successful mission. Niklaus was particularly anxious to meet his daughter, while Kol was itching to flee to the furthest corner of the world. _

"_What's the holdup?" The younger Mikaelson brother paced, while Elijah sat in a rocker, reading the newspaper. "All right, we rescued Nik, we escaped mortal danger why are we not on a private jet to Saint-Tropez?" Kol snatched the paper from his big brother and told him, "You can catch up on the last five years when we're on our way- I can assure you haven't missed much."_

_Annoyed with his little brother, the older Original sat up in his rocking chair as he said, "Circumstances have changed. We will leave here soon enough."_

"_We have our niece to consider," Rebekah told Kol, as he rolled his eyes._

"_Kol has a point," Freya chimed in worriedly. "We need to put an ocean between us and Marcel Gerard as soon as possible."_

"_We're not going anywhere today," Niklaus insisted." I want one day of peace with my daughter. Before we uproot her."_

_Freya approached the hybrid to implore him, "Any delay is a risk."_

"_One day. We're in the middle of nowhere, the house is cloaked," he said, raising his voice with every word. "We weren't followed, and I'm not asking!"_

_Eternity rolled her eyed and stepped in, "I really do not see why you lot are so afraid and insistent upon leaving to some far off land. I reverted Marcel back to his former ordinary vampire state on our way out from rescuing Nik. He's not the threat you all are still treating him, especially not with me back in the fold."_

"_Yes, my dear, but you didn't destroy the rest of serum he is sure to have," Kol countered, almost accusingly. "What is to stop him from taking more and coming for our heads? Especially if he does and decides to wait for you to leave us for one of your missions again, leaving us vulnerable to another attack."_

"_My darling Kol," the ethereal beauty smiled. "So what if Marcel does as you say he might and takes more, comes for another strike? I am here now to put the bastard in his place. And if I did have to leave again so soon after coming home, do you honestly think that I would leave you defenseless, that I would not put in extra protections for you, knowing what is at stake? I may make a mistake here and there, since I am as fallible as you are, but I certainly learn from my errors. Never again will any of you suffer at the hands of Marcel Gerard or anyone else for that matter."_

_Elijah listened to his lady's words and was moved by them. He knew already that she cared for them all, but to hear her say as much with such determination pulled at his heart, made him see her as one of them: a Mikaelson._

_Kol sighed exasperatedly and was about to argue further, when the front door opened and Hayley came out with a seven year old Hope in tow._

"_Everybody, look who's awake," the female hybrid said, looking down at her daughter that she had raised and protected practically on her own for the last five years._

_Everyone gathered around and there was a bit of awkwardness, especially with the almost nervous way the little girl gazed at all of them, except for Eternity, of whom she gave a small, fond smile to._

"_Hello," the redheaded child greeted them shyly, as her father approached with uncertainty._

"_Hello," the hybrid replied softly._

_Hope looked up at her mother and asked in a tiny, uncertain voice, "Mom, can I go play in the garden?"_

_Giving her a slightly odd look, Hayley nodded, "Yeah. Sure."_

_The Mikaelsons watched as the little went quickly down the stairs to play in the front yard by herself. Then Niklaus looked at his wife and she gazed back with an uncertainty of her own. _

_Suddenly, Eternity called to Hope asking to join her to which the girl excitedly agreed to and with a sly grin to the family, she raced forward and leapt off the porch, transforming midair into the unicorn she truly was. With a shrill, joyful sound the strange white beast pranced around the child, making her smile and laugh._

_While the hybrid couple chatted about their daughter and his lady entertained Hope, Elijah went inside with Rebekah, where they began to chat. She sat in an armchair, while he stood leaning on the door frame that lead into the kitchen._

"_Now that our brother has found his noble purpose, what about you?" His baby sister asked him._

_The older Original tried to avoid answering by saying, "Let's give him the day with his daughter. Tomorrow, we seek sanctuary elsewhere."_

_As he moved into the room with his hands casually in his pants pockets, the blonde smiled knowingly, "That's not what I meant, is it? You're no longer tethered to him. You must have thought about it. So, what will you do with your immortality, now you're not burdened with saving Nik's soul?"_

"_I don't know," he replied with a frown as he looked out the screen door at the brother in question, before turning back to his sister. "And what of you? Do you still desire a family of your own?"_

_She sighed, "Well, true love continues to elude me. Though, certainly, there's an app for that now."_

"_I am sorry," he murmured. "I know the way you felt about Marcel."_

"_Yeah, me too," Rebekah said with a small smile. "Nik has Hayley and you have Eternity. At least, we're not all miserably single and desperate for love. Speaking of which, I have been wondering, when - if ever - you were going to pop the question to your lady love? Nik married Hayley some time ago, but you have been with E much longer, yet never proposed. Why?"_

_Elijah shrugged with a slightly bashful grin, "I don't know. I suppose it's been complicated."_

"_Well, we have the opportunity for a fresh start," his baby sister told him as she got up from the chair. "Perhaps we should both use this one quiet day to decide what we want our new beginning to be."_

"_Yes. Maybe you're right," he agreed softly._

"_Though, truthfully, in your case, you really should propose to E," Rebekah recommended. "She has risked her life for us - for you - many times over the years. She deeply loves you and this family, and is willing to fight for us as fiercely as you are. She is your perfect match. So, get off your ass and marry her already." She grinned at him, as she approached, before she leaned forward to kiss his cheek tenderly and then she exited the room. _

_Elijah was left to think about what his sister had said. He had thought about marriage with Eternity before in the past, many times, but had shied away from it. He hadn't felt worthy of her, he supposed. She was a bright light, but he was a lowly monster, and so, no matter how close they became or how in love they were, he had dismissed the very idea of marriage. _

_Though Eternity really didn't seem that interested anyway. She never brought it up over the course of their relationship. Maybe she wasn't too keen on the idea either._

_However, maybe this was the time for change, to decide what he wanted. _

_A little while later, Elijah went out onto the porch to think and encountered Hayley, whom seemed to be doing the same. _

"_Let me guess. You want the world to disappear," he said, as he came up to stand beside her. _

_The female hybrid sighed, "Not the whole world. You and Klaus can stay. Hope and Eternity, too. The rest of the family can visit on the weekends, I guess. I betrayed a lot of people over the last five years, Elijah. Killed people just to cover my tracks, keep Hope safe. I was ruthless." She looked down, clearly upset by her deeds during these past five years._

"_You were a Mikaelson," he told her point blank. "Quite literally as you are the wife of my brother. You did what you had to do."_

_Eternity hadn't been a Mikaelson, he thought, but had done what she had to as well to protect them, swooping in to give them back their lives by freeing them from their deadly poisons. She might not have been there when he and the others wanted her to be, but she did come through when they needed her to. She would stand to defend his family no matter the cost. She'd probably even lay down her own life for them._

"_The truth is, I'd...do it all again," the female hybrid admitted, drawing him back to the present. "I told myself a hundred times that it was all for Hope, but maybe I did it for selfish reasons, too. When I wasn't with my daughter, all I thought about was Klaus. Despite all his flaws, I love him and it's been hard without him. I should be happy right now, but there's one of my kind in a barn, miserable and scared, and she doesn't deserve to be there."_

_He sighed and then said, "Release her."_

"_If Marcel finds you all...," began Hayley._

"_You can't do this forever," he told her gently. "Your life is more than the salvation of the Mikaelson family, despite being married into it. Now, trust me...you'll lose yourself."_

_Just then, Eternity appeared in the doorway. "He's right, you know, Hayley," she said as she leaned against the door frame with her arms folded casually across her chest. "You might be married to one Niklaus Mikaelson, but there is more for you than just being his wife and looking after this family. You will lose yourself, if you don't carve your own path aside from the Mikaelson one, doing terrible things in the name of this family, things you'd rather not do."_

_Then the ethereal beauty walked out onto the porch to join them, shimmering as the light touched her in that way in such captivated Elijah and stole his breath away. She held out her hand to Hayley and smiled, "Come alone, my dear. You have a werewolf to free."_

_The female hybrid grinned slightly at her before putting her hand in the otherworldly woman's. Then, as Eternity winked at Elijah, the trio moved to the barn, to free the injured werewolf that Freya had been using to make a cure for Marcel's bite, despite Elijah's lady having stripped the younger vampire of his upgraded status. Sometimes she was just as paranoid as Niklaus, a trait they shared._

_Afterwards, once the wolf was gone and Freya was stopped from pursuing her, thanks to Elijah's ability for effective intimidation, Hayley wandered off ahead to find her husband and daughter, leaving the older Original alone with Eternity._

_She immediately took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together tightly, as they walked back to the safe house. They walked unhurriedly. On their way, she spoke to him casually, but with sincerity,"We haven't really gotten a chance to talk after being parted for so long, have we?"_

"_No, we haven't," he agreed. _

"_Well then that means I haven't told you how sorry I am that I wasn't here for you, five years ago," she apologized. "As Hayley thought of nothing but Nik, I thought about nothing but you, trying my damnedest to get back here, yet I was unfortunately delayed. When I did, everything was in chaos. Fortunately, I had found Hayley and was in time to help fix what had been broken, but I cannot help to think about what might have been, if I had been here all along or on the other side, if I had not."_

_Elijah pulled her to a stop and turned to her meaningfully. "You cannot be here for us all the time, Sweetheart," he told her gently, as he cupped the side of her neck, while lifting their interwoven hands to kiss the back of hers. "You have a duty to protect and help more than the Mikaelsons. I understand that. Therefore, there is no need to apologize. I'm just glad that you're here with us - with me."_

_Eternity smiled softly at him, before she leaned up to kiss his lips sweetly. "I love you, Elijah Mikaelson," she murmured. "With everything I am."_

"_I love you too, Sweetheart," he replied with a smile, letting his mouth descend upon hers in a devouring kiss that set his blood on fire with want. _

_His tongue darted into her mouth, tasting her sweetness that he had tasted in over five years. It had been so long since last they had made love and he was suddenly feeling a ravenous hunger of a different variety than his hunger for blood. He wanted her. He craved her._

_Yet, before he could give into the desire to have her, Elijah thought about what Rebekah and he had spoken about earlier. Eternity was his perfect match. She was everything to him, always had been, even when they were at odds with each other. Life without her was hard, almost unbearably so, and he was tired of being afraid to commit to her. _

_She was practically a Mikaelson already. He might as well make it official._

_Making a decision, Elijah pulled back and rested his forehead against hers affectionately, as they both caught their breaths. "I want you to meet me outside tonight at the pavilion," he said gruffly, his voice still full of lust for her. "It'll be a quiet, romantic affair, and just for the two of us. No Mikaelsons, no crisis. Just us."_

_Eternity grinned, "Alright. It's a date."_

The present brought Elijah back once more, abruptly this time, as Ari became fussy. It was time for her afternoon nap and so, the doting father picked his daughter up and carried her away to lay her down in her crib for sleep.

As his daughter fell asleep quickly, he watched over her like a protective guardian, while she slept, to dream of whatever babies dreamed of. It was bittersweet, as the ghost of Eternity continued to haunt him. The void of her absence felt profoundly, in the sweetness that was his child's sleeping form.

**To Be Continued...**


	4. Chapter 4: The Impromptu Wedding

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

**Warning**: Smutty chapter is smutty! You have been warned!

* * *

For a moment of peace, Elijah went into his study and poured himself a drink, while Ari was down for her nap. He sat at his desk and saw a face down picture frame he had left there after hearing about his wife's demise. He swallowed thickly with emotion. The hidden picture caused him great pain, but knew that it was all the more worse when he looked at it.

Yet, he was a bit of a masochist, it seemed, and he couldn't resist reaching for the frame. He turned it over, revealing the only picture he had of their impromptu wedding. Eternity looked beautiful as always and they both had been so happy to finally be forever bound to each other, as husband and wife.

It didn't feel like it had only been a little less than two years ago when they had exchanged vows and rings in front of his family. Though, that was probably because they had been together a lot longer than they had been married. It had been a simple formality really, to officially bring her into the Mikaelson family.

Elijah sat there staring at the wedding photo, as he remembered when he proposed and the ceremony that followed:

_At Hayley's safe house, there was a pavilion of sorts with a couple of wicker couches and a table that had a bottle of champagne on ice sitting upon it. There were strings of lights that hung from the beams of the open roof and they shone brightly in the evening. Elijah threw his suit jacket onto the couch in front of him, after which he poured champagne into two glasses while he waited for his lady. _

"_This is beautiful," Eternity said as she approached._

_He smiled at her. His breath was stolen at the sight of her. She was dressed in a casual white sundress that was smocked around her chest and then flowed down around her. Her hair had been braided with pink and yellow flowers woven into it. It was simple, but elegant. _

"_You're beautiful, Sweetheart," replied Elijah, as he watched her leaned against one of the supporting pavilion beams. _

_He came over to her and cupped the side of her face, kissing her lips tenderly before he pulled away to gaze at her closely. He wanted to ask her to marry him, but he found it difficult to begin. He wasn't sure how to._

"_Are you alright?" Eternity asked him with mild concern. _

"_Rebekah asked me something, who I might be if Niklaus no longer needed me," he replied. "Did I have any desires of my own? And I thought about it. There was a time, long ago, I do recall, I wanted more. Somehow I have...I lost the feelings - beneath blood and chaos."_

"_Elijah, listen to me," Eternity cupped his face in her little hands. "You don't have to let the bad things that you did in your past define you. You are more than the blood and chaos. All of you are. We've been together a long time, you and I, with some stops and starts over the years, but I know you. You are capable of great good...and great evil, but then again, so am I. Everyone is. We all carry light and dark in us. It's merely a never ending balancing act."_

_Elijah was overwhelmed with emotion then. He reached for her and kissed her again. This time, it was deeper, more passionate. "I have one desire tonight, one that I've had for a long time: Marry me," he breathed out, as he pulled back. "This night, marry me, Eternity, and become a Mikaelson. Stay with me forevermore."_

_Eternity gaped at him in surprise, but it was only for a moment. As if brought back to life, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with much enthusiasm. "Yes, Elijah Mikaelson, yes," she told him. _

_He laughed joyfully, as he grabbed her hand in his and pulled her away from the pavilion, heading back to the house, where his family awaited them. _

_Earlier, Elijah had gathered his siblings and Hayley together to tell them of his plans to ask Eternity to marry him and join their family, at last. Freya offered to conjure the rings and to magically decorate the house for the occasion, while Kol offered to officiate the impromptu ceremony. After which, there had been a lot of hugs and congratulations to be had amongst the Mikaelsons._

_Now, with his bride-to-be in tow, the older Original went into the house where everyone stood, ready to witness this happy occasion. The ceremony had been short and simple, but perfect for the two of them. After they had exchanged magically conjured rings and promised to be together forever, there had been a small celebration, of music and dancing in the yard outside. _

_However, Elijah still craved Eternity, especially now that she was his wife. In his upmost happiness, he wanted nothing more than to have her._

The Original purposefully disrupted his own remembrance, as it began to travel down a heated path. He might have been a masochist, but he didn't need to punish himself by thinking about their wedding night. He didn't need that right now.

Yet, despite his attempts to deny the memories from surfacing, they demanded to be thought about. They proved too strong for him to resist. Perhaps it had been out of loneliness without his wife, but he couldn't stop it as he recalled what came next after their impromptu wedding and reception:

_In the middle of the party, Elijah had decided there had been enough waiting and sped his new wife away to one of the guest rooms. He pushed her against the door, once they were shut up inside and quickly devoured Eternity's mouth with his own, while simultaneously lifting one of her legs to wrap around his hip. _

"_I want you so much, Sweetheart," he murmured against her lips, just before he reached for the top of her dress and yanked it downward until it pooled around her feet, leaving her bare. _

_Then he lifted her up into his arms, so that he legs were wrapped securely around him and sped over to the bed, throwing her down upon the mattress. He stood at the foot of the bed and stared down at her, admiring her natural beauty, while she gazed hotly up at him. _

"_Elijah, please," she pleaded with his, she writhed under his intense gaze and her hand trailed down her body until it was between her legs, playing teasingly there. _

_The Original watched her hand momentarily, before he yanked it away and pinned it to bed. "My pleasure. Don't touch it," he growled at her warningly, causing her to moan desperately. _

_Then he sped out of his own clothes, letting them fall where he tossed them, and then he proceeded to climb over Eternity, hovering there. He kissed her mouth, then her throat, and descended lower down her body until his mouth reached the mound between her legs. They're eyes locked for a moment, as he grinned lopsidedly while she gazed at him pleadingly. _

_From there, Elijah put his mouth on her intimately. Her hands immediately tangled in his hair with a loud throaty moan falling from her lips. He lapped at her, teasing her clit until she was a writhing mess of a woman. It didn't take long, before she was experiencing her first orgasm of the night, bowing her back as she cried out into the room. _

_Eternity didn't waste any time in turning the tables of him, resting only for a brief moment before she moved, tossing him onto the bed beside her and climbing on top of him. She kissed him passionately, moaning at the taste of herself she surely found there, while she rocked teasingly against his hardened length. _

_The Original growled deep in his throat with warning, but the ethereal beauty paid no attention to it. Instead she pulled back to grin wickedly down at him, continuing her teasing at her leisure, until he threatened to pay her back tenfold. _

_With a pleasurable shiver at his dark threat, Eternity finally allowed herself to take him into her body, sinking down on him fully. She moaned at the same time he did. Both of them closed their eyes, enjoying the feeling of being joined after having been parted for five years. _

_Elijah's hands immediately grabbed her hips in his hands and took control, moving her over him quickly. He enjoyed the feeling her her walls sliding against his cock, over and over again. It was an exquisite sensation, one he'd never get tired of. _

_The whole time he stared up at her, while she gazed down at him. They're eyes were locked together in lusty passion that was mixed with their deep love for each other. _

_Then he changed positions, rolling her over under him and pinning her hands to the bed. Elijah kissed her deeply, his tongue entering her mouth to taste her, moving in the same rhythm as his hips as he slid in and out of her body again and again._

"_I love you, Sweetheart," he murmured in her ear, as he nuzzled her neck, leaving a trail of kisses there. _

_Eternity's hips lifted to meet his as she moaned needfully, rapidly reaching her peak. Her hands flexed, begging to touch him and he let her, releasing his hold on her and allowing her hands to curl around his back, where her nails proceeded to rake down it. _

"_I love you, always and forever," she responded, just as she was falling over the edge. _

_She shouted as she came apart, forcing Elijah to cover her mouth with his to muffle it, so the rest of the family didn't hear. He was soon following her over the edge, coming inside her with blinding intensity. Then he slumped against her to rest. _

_As Eternity cradled him to her, running her fingers lazily through his hair in that brief moment before the next round, she told him, "You made a proposal, my love. Now, I would like to make one of my own."_

_He lifted his head to gaze at her curiously._

"_I can rewrite the magic in you, to make so you can procreate," she explained with a gentle smile. "We could have a family. We can have children, if you so wish it. I can make it so."_

_Immediately, Elijah pulled himself up into a seated position, with her following him until they were sitting in front of each other. A pause, a beat, passed between them, before he grinned like a fool and said, "I would like nothing more than to have children with you, Sweetheart. There is nothing that would make me happier."_

_Eternity smiled and then held out her hands for him to take, "Well then, let us get started, shall we?"_

_The thing about his wife's magic was that it was so powerful that it was more often than not anticlimactic. Instead of a grand show of power, there was barely a spark whenever she performed her wonders. This was no different. _

_The moment his hands were in hers, she closed her eyes and cast her spell. It was so brief, before it was over, that Elijah was left wondering if anything had happened at all. He hadn't felt anything out of the way. For all he knew, if he didn't know better, they had simply held hands, nothing more. _

_Yet, Eternity confidently promised him that the spell had worked and they could now try for a child, when they were ready. _

_Well, after being denied the opportunity to have children for a thousand years, he found himself quite eager to try for one immediately. The Original proceeded to pull his wife into his lap, and while kissing her deeply, he took her again...and again...and again._

Elijah finally managed to pull himself from that particularly and torturously erotic memory. He shivered with pleasure despite himself, which became a deeply felt void. It left him feeling hollow and unable to breathe, knowing Eternity was gone from him and would most likely, never return.

He got up from his desk and moved out of the study, heading down the hall to his bedroom. He went immediately for his daughter's adjoined room, wanting to distract himself with her presence. However, he remained haunted by the past, even as he stared down at the recently awakened Ari.

Yet, despite the pain of loss, the Original found himself smiling, as he recalled finding out about Eternity's pregnancy:

_After the quick wedding, Elijah's family had decided to split up, going off on their own adventures in order to keep Marcel from finding them. The older Original and his lady had decided to remain at the safe house, knowing that if anyone could take on the younger vampire who bested the Mikaelsons, it was Eternity. _

_For two weeks, the house had become something of a love nest and Elijah was sure that every surface of every room had been defiled at one point or another. He knew that there were a few holes in walls from him slamming his wife into them or vice versa and that there were claw marks in the hardwood floors from both of them as well. Elijah had found himself rather insatiably amorous upon the casting of Eternity's spell that would allow them to have children. In fact, he had become rather base, animalistic in his desires for his bride._

_Then one morning, while the Original prepared breakfast for the two of them, the ethereal beauty sauntered into the kitchen with a small smile upon her pink rose lips. She came over and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, hugging him tightly, while he was whisking the batter for pancakes. _

"_Good morning, Sweetheart," he greeted her with a smile that always tugged at his lips, every time she was near. "Did you sleep well?"_

"_Aye, I did," she replied as she released him from her embrace and then came to stand beside him, watching him cook. She was quiet for a moment, before she ventured, "Elijah, I have something to tell you."_

_Immediately, he paused in his whisking to look at her with a hint of excitement, as he hoped upon hope that she was going to tell him that she was pregnant. However, he did his best to keep himself under control, as he waited for her to tell him whatever it was she had to say. He even tried to tell himself that it was too soon for her to be with child, that these things took longer. Yet, he kept on hoping nonetheless._

_Then Eternity pulled his hand toward her abdomen and pressed it against her, as she beamed at him and said, "I'm pregnant!"_

_Without missing a beat, he dropped the whisk and drew her into his tight, joyful embrace. He grinned and laughed, as he held her and she held him. He was going to be a father! After a thousand years of missing out on raising a family, he was finally going to have one!_

As he was brought back to the present, Elijah felt the tears roll down his face and realized that he was crying profusely, while leaning over his daughter's crib. The pain cut him deeply and it seemed no matter how much time passed, he would always be in this state of agony.

Unable to cope, he fled the room and then the compound entirely, needing a break from all these memories that continued to haunt him. He couldn't see beauty in the ashes now, only the devastation of a nightmarish existence without Eternity.

**To Be Continued...**


	5. Chapter 5: To the Beginning

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

* * *

Another six months passed by slowly, but they did pass. Little Arianna was officially a year old, which meant that it had been a year since her mother had perished. She had begun to toddle already and loved to smile, as well as laugh, while getting into everything she could get her hands on.

Niklaus's daughter, Hope, enjoyed being with her cousin, always wanting to help out and play with the toddler. The other Mikaelsons liked to spend time with her too, which warmed Elijah's heart and was a great relief to him. He was thankful for the support system, finding some beauty in the ashes of his personal tragedy thanks to their village mentality. At least, he wasn't stuck raising his daughter alone. Although he, of course, would have rather been raising her with Eternity included.

Still, the Original was ever thankful for his family, except for when they tried to get him to do things he didn't want to do.

On the day of Ari's first birthday, Elijah found the hybrid in the toddler's room, holding the little girl and talking to her about a small wooden figure he had carved just for her. When the hybrid noticed him enter the room, he turned to him and said, "I was just presenting Arianna with my gift to her for her first birthday, Brother. I think she rather likes it."

"Yes, she does seem to enjoy it, Niklaus," the older Original grinned warmly.

"Though, she'd enjoy it even more, if her father would permit her family with throwing her a small party in celebration of this momentous occasion," his brother told him. "Hayley said that you refused to entertain the idea, when she asked you about it days ago."

The smile left Elijah's face. "What is there to celebrate?" He asked emotionally. "My daughter's birthday is marred by the fact that it has been nearly a year since she lost her mother and I lost my wife. I don't think I can bear more of a reminder that Eternity is gone, by celebrating Ari's first birthday."

"There is something to celebrate, Brother," insisted Niklaus. "How about celebrating her life, honoring her memory by remembering all the happy times you had with E? She's done a lot for this family, from the very beginning, but no time more so than when we first returned to this city. Certainly, we can honor her, while giving your daughter what every other child receives upon reaching a year of life."

"I'll think about it, Niklaus," sighed Elijah, stubbornly.

His brother accepted his non-answer for the time being, as he set Ari down on her feet and let her waddle over to her father. "See that you do and please be hasty in your decision," the hybrid said as he made his way out of the room. "You know I don't like to be kept waiting."

With that, Niklaus left the room, just as Ari reached her father and Elijah picked her up.

As he had been since Eternity's death, the older Original found himself traveling down memory lane again. He had been promoted to by his brother's mentioning of when they had first returned to the city they loved. This time, he went to their last reunion, when Elijah and his little brother had both been first drawn back to New Orleans some years ago:

_After being away for many years, Elijah found himself back in the city he and his family had helped build. It had been one of his happiness times being in that place long ago, only to have been forced to flee it, after the Mikaelsons' mad father had found them and chased them off. _

_He had come back to find Niklaus, whom was in a bit of trouble involving the local witches. In his search for his sibling and to find out what exactly was going on, he had also discovered that his little brother was to be a father! A miracle child was to be born, a new Mikaelson, a sign of hope for their broken family. _

_Elijah had tried to implore his brother to accept the child and therefore, the mother of said child, Hayley Marshall, protect them and maybe even love them both. Perhaps having a family of his own, to love and guard, would quell his madness, his thirst for power and domination over others. Maybe this was Niklaus's redemption._

_During his journey, the older Original was keeping his rather disinterested baby sister in the loop, while she remained in Mystic Falls. As he walked in the park, he spoke to Rebekah on the phone._

"_He's willing to give up everything," said Elijah with much frustration over his brother's stubbornness. Though really, that was nothing new._

"_Come on, Elijah, does that really surprise you?" His sister replied. _

_The older Original sighed, "I already see it. He's spiraling. He's lashing out in blind rage. You know, the last time I saw him like this it lasted 200 years." He paused in his step._

"_Then leave him to his temper tantrum and come home," Rebekah implored, uncaring about their brother. "With any luck this misadventure will allow us a reprieve from all of his insanity."_

"_He was so close," Elijah carried on anyway, despite his sister's indifference. "When he heard the baby's heartbeat, I could see it in his eyes. He... he wanted... he could almost taste happiness. And now his temper has destroyed it. Even if I was to return him to sanity, he just lost Marcel's trust. So, I'm almost out of time to get the girl."_

"_Get her? Have you lost her mind? Are we running an orphanage now?" Rebekah responded incredulously. _

"_Say what you will about Niklaus, but on my life, I'm not letting anything happen to that baby," the determined elder Original replied, before hanging up the phone and putting it back in the inner pocket of his suit jacket._

"_And neither will I," called a sweet voice he didn't think he'd ever hear again._

_Elijah turned sharply and saw Eternity standing there with a hand on her hip and a smirk upon those lovely pink lips. "Eternity?" He said with disbelief. Then he grew angry since their last parting had not been on good terms in the least._

_He sped her into the nearest tree trunk, slamming her into it by the throat, as he growled threateningly at her._

"_Oh, Elijah! You always did like throwing me against things," the ethereal beauty purred at him, unfazed by his show of strength. "You always did need to dominate."_

"_What are you doing here?" He demanded quietly, ignoring her suggestive, taunting words. "Come to kill Niklaus, have we?"_

_Eternity grew serious then, "No. Actually, I have come to help. Like you, I do not want anything to happen to that baby, because I believe as you do: that the child and possibly the mother will change Nik's path to one of redemption and new purpose."_

_Immediately, he let her go. He believed her as he knew she wouldn't lie to him, certainly not about something like this. "Why are you willing to help him? To help us?" Elijah asked her curiously._

"_Because I failed you, Elijah," she answered. "I abandoned you. Nik too. Time and time again. I should have stood beside you. I should have been stronger, more devoted to helping your lost brother find his way instead of turning against him, instead of giving up. Therefore, forsaking you...and our love in the process."_

_They had parted ways and come back together many times over the course of two hundred years. So, that meant that there had been an apology every time they did the latter from one of them or both, depending on what crime had been committed. However, this one that Eternity gave him felt different than all those other ones, as if it were more sincere and more final, like she was willing to stick around even through the worst of storms this time. _

"_I know about the werewolf girl, Hayley Marshall, and, of course, the child she carries," the ethereal beauty told him. "I'll protect the girl and child. You do whatever you have to do to secure her."_

_Unlike others who had been former allies or questionable ones, Elijah knew without an ounce of doubt that Eternity wouldn't do anything to harm Hayley or the baby, that she had no ulterior motives. She was always truthful, always willing to do the right thing, willing to protect the innocent. She could be trusted and relied on, no matter the past. If she was here to make amends, to be a friend, then that was exactly what he could expect from her. _

"_Fine. Go," Elijah nodded softly. _

_She nodded curtly in return and vanished._

_The next time that he saw Eternity, she was with Hayley at the mausoleum, the witches hide out. The witches were arguing with each other as he approached._

"_His time is up. What're you gonna do now, Sophie?" Agnes, the coven elder said._

_Sophie, the young witch linked to Hayley or assumingely so, replied reluctantly, "I'm gonna do what I said was gonna do."_

"_What, kill the girl? Kill yourself?" Another witch Sabine countered firmly._

"_Klaus does not care about the child," Agnes pointed out._

_It was here that Elijah appeared with the body of their fallen comrade, Jane-Anne on his arms._

"_I do," he told them. As he entered with the corpse covered in a white shroud. "And I bring proof of my intent to help you: the body of your fallen friend, which I procured from Marcel himself."_

"_Jane-Anne," Sophie murmured mournfully as she approached the body of her dead sister._

"_May she be granted peace," the Original told them sincerely. "Klaus will agree to your terms. I just need a little more time."_

_Agnes boldly stated, "You had your time. It's passed._

"_Shut up, Agnes," interjected Sabine harshly._

_Elijah informed them, "For now, accept the deal. The girl and the child remain unharmed, or Klaus will kill you all." He started to walk away from them, only to turn back to say, "And I will help him."_

"_Neither of you will touch these people," Eternity called to him firmly, causing him to pause and turn back to look at her curiously. She grinned, gazing cruelly at each witch present from where she sat next to Hayley, "If they try anything, I shall deliver unto them something far worse than death at the hands of the Originals - a curse of horrific and long lasting torment to be felt for generations to come."_

_The witches shuttered at the malicious way the pale beauty looked, while Elijah gave a small, impressed grin. He curtly nodded at his complicated flame and left to deal with his brother._

_When next the older Original saw Eternity, it had been when Niklaus had finally decided to stop being stubborn and to protect Hayley and the child. Elijah had come to inform the witches that his brother had agreed to their terms and to get the werewolf girl somewhere safe. Not to say that she hadn't been safe with the ethereal beauty there to keep guard. _

_Eternity came with them as they headed to a safe, secure place that would surely be a safe haven to plot and plan and protect. _

_That night, the immortal queen stayed by Hayley's side as the pregnant girl slept, to offer a bit of extra protection in case the witches tried something else that night. One couldn't be too careful, despite the fact that it wasn't very likely that they would come back, not when a deal had been struck._

_The following morning, Hayley proceeded to take the dusty sheets off the furniture, since the plantation house hadn't been used in a long time. Eternity was there with her, having a light conversation full of laughter. So that when Elijah walked into the room, they both grinned at him as a result of their merriment, just as the werewolf girl lifted another dusty sheet off a crib, which caused her to cough._

"_Are you alright?" He asked Hayley with concern. _

"_Just dust. This place is ancient," she replied. "There is dusty everywhere."_

_Eternity stood up from her perch on one of the vintage couches and approached Hayley with a glimmer in her sapphire eyes that Elijah recognized as a precursor to her performing some miraculous feat. "Perhaps, my darling Hayley, I can help."_

_Nothing noticeable happened, except that all the sheets and dust had vanished, not just in the rain in which they stood, but the entire mansion. In fact, it looked as it had when it had last been used. _

_The werewolf girl gazed at her with wide admiring eyes. "Well, you could have done that sooner, E!" She laughed playfully, while the ethereal beauty grinned._

_Elijah found himself at ease, knowing that Eternity was looking after Hayley well, going so far as to befriend her and make her feel comfortable being with them. It certainly meant that the immortal lady would do whatever it took to protect her from harm and Hayley was going to need all the help she could get in the months to come._

"_This place should serve our purposes," the Original said, completely unfazed by the otherworldly beauty's magic trick, having seen much of her wonders over the years already. "It's a sanctuary from our business in the Quarter. Right now, you are the most important person in this family. You need a good home. So I'm curious. In all this time, has anyone asked you how you feel?"_

"_About having a miracle baby with a psychotic one-night-stand?" Hayley asked. _

"_About being a mother," corrected Elijah._

"_I – I was abandoned when I was born and my adoptive parents kicked me out the second that I turned into a wolf," the wolf girl told him. "So... I don't really know how I feel about being a mother because I...I never really had a good one."_

_Eternity chimed in with a look of sympathy, "I'm sorry, Hayley."_

"_Me too, but I will always protect you," Elijah said with determination. "You have my word on that."_

"_Yes, and mine," the ethereal beauty nodded at Hayley, as she came to stand by him. "Between a thousand year old Original vampire and a three thousand year old immortal, I'd say you'll be well looked after, my dear."_

"_And noble Elijah and fierce Eternity always keeps their word," Niklaus said as he appeared in the doorway._

"_Is it done?" The older Original asked him._

_The hybrid grinned, "As a matter of fact, yes. Your underhanded deal worked quite well. Marcel was only too happy to accept my blood even as he accepted my heartfelt apologies. His man, Thierry, yet lives and I remain a welcome guest in the French Quarter. My only concern now is this coven of impudent witches."_

"_I believe them to be honorable," said Elijah. "They did release Hayley to me. Although, they haven't been entirely forthcoming. Marcel obviously has something that they need. They don't want him dead. There must be a reason why."_

"_Do you know the reason, dearest Eternity?" Niklaus asked the shimmering woman. "Perhaps you can shed some light on what's going on? You do have psychic, mind reading abilities. Maybe you have something useful to share with the rest of us."_

_Both Originals looked at her, while she gazed at the younger Mikaelson incredulously. "For one, not your spy. For two, my abilities don't just happen. I have to concentrate and focus, two things I didn't do while with the witches. Three, I am only here to watch over Hayley, not deal with Mikaelson nonsense."_

"_Really? Because I assumed you'd returned to us, because you were missing my brother's cock," Niklaus said to her, as he came near. "It is why you keep popping into the Mikaelson fray and then when you've had your fill, you disappear again, leaving me to pick up the pieces."_

_Elijah watched as Eternity's hands balled into fists at her sides as she glared at his brother. "Be a little respectful, Nik. You do know who I am," she growled dangerously. "You imply things that you know are simply not true, just to anger me, but I'm not taking the bait. As I said, I'm here for Hayley, nothing more."_

"_Why such interest in the girl?" The hybrid questioned her suspiciously._

"_Because with all the enemies you lot have made over the years," she replied. "Your child is always going to be at risk, Nik. The child isn't even born yet and already it has people gunning for it. You're going to need all the help you can get and with me by your side, my hybrid friend, you have a better chance of keeping the dangers to your child to a minimum."_

_Niklaus looked at her with wonder. His expression softened, "You'll help my child? Despite everything?"_

_Eternity sighed, "Well, the child is an innocent and protecting the innocent is kind of what I do. Even if that means putting up with you, Nik, and your crudeness. 'Missed my brother's cock', really? Was that truly necessary?" She made a face at him, before she grinned playfully._

_It was infectious, because Niklaus grinned too._

In the end, Elijah had decided to allow a birthday party for Arianna's first birthday. The whole family pitched in with the preparations, each joyful to be having the celebration. Then, that evening, the entire family sat down to a fabulous dinner, where they shared stories about Eternity, where they laughed and cried and remembered. Elijah had sat in silence the entire time, though he did smile and cry like the rest of them.

The Original missed his wife greatly. Her absence was felt deeply. Yet, seeing everyone together, remembering her and realizing how much impact she had upon each of them, had him appreciating all she did for him and his family. Seeing his family together and whole, knowing Eternity had a hand in making it so, made him happy, despite his terrible pain of loss.

**To Be Continued...**


	6. Chapter 6: Trapped in the Bayou

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

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After the party had ended, Elijah sat in an armchair before a roaring fire with a drink in hand. Niklaus sat beside him in the other chair and the two brothers simply sat in the quiet for a time. They were each reflecting on the past, something that the older Original had been doing ever since Eternity had died.

"I'm glad you decided to give little Ari a party, Brother," the hybrid said softly. "It was nice to gather everyone together to not only celebrate her birth, but to also celebrate E."

"Yes, it was beautiful," agreed Elijah somberly.

Again, they fell into a companionable silence. However, this one was brief, before his brother spoke once more, "Do you remember how when E first reentered our lives that last time, how she guarded Hayley so fiercely, that when my now wife had been kidnapped by Tyler Lockwood, she didn't even inform us where she was before hand?"

The older Original smiled softly, "Yes, Instead of leaving us a message to tell us where Hayley and Tyler were, she made us go all over looking for her."

"I was quite perturbed upon finding E with Hayley," chuckled Niklaus.

Elijah grinned at his brother, before the memory flooded back to him of that time:

_While Niklaus went off to search for his wayward hybrid sidekick from Mystic Falls in the wilderness of the bayou, the older Original went in search of Hayley. He found her and Eternity standing outside an old cabin by the river. The female werewolf looked shaken, but otherwise unharmed, while the ethereal beauty had been dressed in her leathers and silks, meaning there had been a battle. _

_Relieved to see Hayley unharmed and a little annoyed at Eternity's lack of communication, he smiled at the wolf girl, "Forgive me! I thought you were in danger. It appears I was mistaken. I had forgotten that you had a guardian angel with you, Hayley."_

_The female werewolf grinned at her companion, before she sighed and replied, "You will not believe the crap day I'm having."_

"_We should go home," said Elijah, as he turned to go._

"_Wait! Elijah, there's something you need to know about the baby," Hayley told him quickly, giving him pause._

_He turned back and waited for whatever revelation was to come. _

"_While Mr. Lockwood was here, a negotiation of sorts resulted in a most interesting discovery," Eternity said. _

"_And what might that be?" The Original inquired._

_The two women looked at each other and then Hayley said, "It would seem that the blood of my child can create hybrids. Klaus must have known, that's the only explanation! He could care less about the baby. He just wants her to be born so he can use her to make more sired hybrids. Although... the way that Dwayne was acting... it was more like he was sired to me."_

"_It appears as though your brother is up to no good, as usual," sighed Eternity exasperatedly. "Though I suppose the road to change can be a long one."_

"_Yes. We should go home," Elijah said frustratedly, troubled by this revelation. _

_However, just before they could even take a step, Niklaus appeared, coming out the shack with the body of a man, of which he tossed down in front of them. "Could someone shed some light on the situation? This appears to be a hybrid."_

_The trio turned their attentions to the younger Mikaelson. _

"_His name was Dwayne," Hayley said tensely._

"_Well, whoever it was, I didn't sire him. Any idea how that's possible?" The hybrid asked them. _

_The female werewolf matched toward him angrily as she growled, "As if you didn't know!"_

_Both Elijah and Eternity moved to intercept her, holding her back from getting close to Niklaus. As if in perfect tune with each other, the pair came to stand between Hayley and his brother protectively. _

_Elijah's brother sneered at them, "Well, aren't you two as close as ever? Come on, then. What kind of horrible accusation have you conspired to levy against me? _

"_Tyler Lockwood brought Hayley here to test a theory," the older Original explained. "That the blood of her child could be used to sire hybrids. He claims that you knew that. Furthermore, that you intended to use this knowledge to build an army."_

_Niklaus's sneer turned into a look of hurt and anger, which made Elijah second gussy himself, but it evaporated with his little brother's next words. "And, of course, you assume it's true," he responded to the accusation. "I mean, why else would I show interest in my own flesh and blood? A heartbroken little crybaby points his finger at me, and my own brother falls in line, eager to believe it! How quickly you believe the worst of me!"_

"_Oh, spare me your indignation," he said as he rolled his eyes at him, "When have you ever demonstrated any kind of concern towards Hayley or her child, beyond your own selfish pursuits? And what was it you once said to me? 'Every king needs an heir!'_

"_My big brother. So, you doubt my intentions?" The hybrid shot back. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised, since I am only seen as a liar, a manipulator, a bastard."_

_It was Eternity's turn to roll her eyes, "You are a liar, a manipulator, and a bastard, Nik, which is why everyone thinks the worst of you. You have yet to show any of us anything different. You are still...a villain."_

_Niklaus growled at her and took a threatening step toward her, "Yes, you have always thought me a villain, haven't you, love? You've pretended to be my friend, but really, you've never seen me as anything but a monster."_

_Exasperatedly, Eternity sighed, "Enough of this."_

_Then in a few short moves, she had Elijah's brother laid out on his back upon the ground with her foot on his chest, while he growled and struggled against her. "You are a fool, Nik," she said softly. "I have done nothing but loved you. As I have a deep bond with Elijah, I have a similar one with you, old friend. You know that. Which is why you're still breathing, despite all the wrongs you have committed. It is why I've always left whenever your violence grew to be too much to ignore, because I've been unwilling to kill you. I don't want to. I don't see you as monster, Nik. I see you as a broken man who has lost himself to darkness. Like your brother, I too want redemption for you - nothing more, nothing less."_

_With that, the ethereal beauty let Niklaus go and reached down a hand to him. _

"_Yet, despite your heartfelt words, you still think me capable of having ulterior motives for my child," the hybrid said, as he took her hand and let her help him to his feet. "You all do."_

"_Brother, if -," began Elijah only to be interrupted._

"_You've said all that needs to be said, brother. Your girl too," Niklaus interjected, nodding at Eternity and holding out his arms. "I'll play the role I've been given."_

_The younger Mikaelson turned away, pretending to walk away. Instead, he turned back and sped over to his big brother, grabbed hold of him and savagely bit him in the neck. As he did, both ladies screamed in horror and ran over to Elijah as his little brother released him from his hold. _

"_You three enjoy each other's company," Niklaus said as he wiped his mouth of his brother's blood. "You'll have much to bond over, once the hallucinations and dementia set in. Consider that bite to be my parting gift to you all."_

_Then as Elijah rose to his full height, while holding onto his neck where the hybrid had bitten him, his brother walked away._

"I'm unsure if I've ever said it, but I apologize for biting you that day, Brother," Niklaus said as he drank from his glass.

"That's quite alright, Niklaus," grinned Elijah. "It wasn't the first time you've done as much and it certainly wouldn't the last. Besides, I did accuse you of a crime you were not guilty of. I suppose, I deserved it."

His little brother chuckled. Then a curious look crossed his face. "What did happen after I left you in the bayou? He asked. "I hope it wasn't too terrible."

"No, it wasn't," Elijah smiled softly. "For thanks to your dodgy behavior, Eternity and I were able to begin reconciling."

As always, the memories came flooding back, though this time, they did while he explained what happened to Niklaus:

_Once Elijah's brother was gone, Hayley mentioned that there might be clues to her family inside the old shack. Therefore, upon Elijah's insistence, while they waited out Elijah's affliction, the three of them went inside to have a look around. _

"_You don't have to help," the wolf girl said, as she shuffled through a box of old photos. " I can dig through the werewolf antique show on my own. Besides, shouldn't you put some kind of ointment or something on that? Or maybe ask E to heal it?" _

_Elijah looked over at Eternity, who was helping sort through some papers, and she briefly gazed at him questioningly, before he shook his head, "The bite won't kill me. Like Niklaus himself, it's more than a nuisance than anything. My life is not at risk, so there's no need for Eternity to waste her powers on it."_

_Hayley looked at him oddly, as if she'd shy understand his refusal to have the ethereal beauty heal Niklaus's bite, before she smiled and said, "Well, thanks for staying out here. You guys didn't have to."_

"_It's no trouble, young Hayley," Eternity smiled at her in return. "I have grown fond of you and therefore, I do not mind lending a hand."_

_Elijah agreed, "Neither do I. Besides, you said the people of this village are the only family you have left. I can relate."_

"_You're thinking about Klaus," the young woman said, knowingly._

_He sighed, "Perhaps I was too willing to condemn him. In the thousand years that we have been together, my brother has committed numerous unspeakable acts. But, then again, so has Rebekah. So have I." _

"_So did I, the last time I was in Cabo," Hayley piped up, earning her a confused look from him and a curious one from Eternity. "We've all done bad things. It's just, most people die before the list gets embarrassing. But, don't for a second compare yourself to Klaus."_

"_I agree with Hayley," interjected Eternity, coming over to stand beside him. "Neither you nor Rebekah will ever have the level of cruelty or monstrousness to you that Nik seems to have. Or Kol, for that matter. He is far more lost to his darkness than you - a darker monster indeed, but not incapable of finding a new, better path."_

_Elijah gazed at her with deeply felt emotions in that moment of hearing her speak of her hopes for his brother, and she gazed right back with her great affection for him - and Nik, he supposed. It moved him, knowing that she saw the same potential in his brother that he did, as if they were two sides of the same magic or of the same soul. They truly were in-tuned to each other, in ways that he had never been in sync with anyone else. _

_Noticing the tense, almost romantic moment between the two immortals, Hayley awkwardly removed herself by saying, "It's like a freaking hot-box in here, I'm gonna get some air."_

_The spell hadn't been broken between them, even as the creaky screen door open and shut loudly. They continued to stare meaningfully at each other, as Eternity reached around to touch Elijah's neck wound tenderly. "I can heal this," she murmured softly. "You don't have to suffer needlessly."_

_Elijah pulled her hand away, kissing the palm automatically, despite them having not reestablished their relationship at that point. It had simply felt right in that moment. "It's fine," he whispered. "Like I said, it won't kill me, so you don't have to waste your powers on it."_

_The sparks of attraction were strong between them, as if their previous strife nor the passage of time had any effect on the way they were drawn to each other. In fact, he had noticed it in the days leading up to that moment too. There was this invisible pull toward each other that made it impossible for him to resist. They were always staring across the room at each other or seeking the other out, if they saw them alone. _

_The moment took him, as Elijah gave into the powerful feelings he felt for her, letting his mouth descend upon hers passionately. He cupped the side her neck, pulling her closer as his tongue pried open her mouth to dive inside and taste her as he hadn't in many years._

_So lost in each other, they hadn't heard Hayley reenter the shack until they heard, "Hey - Oh...oh...um..."_

_Immediately, they separated and turned to the wolf girl, who grinned at them awkwardly and danced nervously from foot to foot. "Ah, I'm sorry for ruining the moment," Hayley said apologetically. "But I found this outside on the porch. I think someone left it there."_

"_What is it?" Elijah asked her curiously, trying to pretend he hadn't been caught kissing Eternity. _

"_A Bible, with a family history that goes back generations," she revealed, opening it up as the Original and the immortal came over to look at what she was showing them._

_There were pages filled with names and birthdates documented, the last of which was of someone named Andrea Labonair born June 6th 1991._

"_What are these names? Who is Andrea?" Elijah asked. _

"_I think I am. That's the day that I was born," Hayley answered, shocked._

_After that, the werewolf girl spent time pouring over the book, fascinated by it._

_Meanwhile, the Original's condition deteriorated. Soon, he was bedridden, tossing and turning restlessly as the effects of his brother's bite began to take effect. The two ladies stood by the bed, watching over him. _

"_Elijah, you should stop being stubborn and just let E heal you," Hayley implored him._

_Yet, he refused. Then he sat up suddenly, gagging and coughing. He felt absolutely miserable, feeling sweaty and clammy. _

"_Forgive me. Please," Elijah murmured with a panting breath._

"_Since you won't let me help you, at the very least, remind me to annihilate your brother once you're healthy," sighed Eternity._

"_Yes, remind me to remind you to get in line," he quipped back, as he writhed uncomfortably. _

"_It doesn't help that we decided to shack up in a swamp either," Hayley sighed._

_As the wolf girl spoke, Eternity came to sit on the bed and put his head in her lap. She rested her hand on his sweat soaked forehead, while he gripped her arms tightly, as a sort of anchor. Then he started coughing again._

"_Damn it, Elijah," the ethereal beauty muttered. "Let me help!"_

_The feverish vampire shook his head, "I'm fine, Eternity. I don't need your help. Tell me about your findings, Hayley." _

"_I went through the whole thing," Hayley told him. "It's just a regular Bible, with an entry in a family tree that may or may not be me. But, you know, I've been a little too busy worrying about you to concentrate."_

"_Eternity, please, get Hayley out of here," Elijah pleaded with the immortal queen, as she ran her hand through his damp hair gently in comfort. "This fever will make me unstable. And once the hallucinations begin, I'll start to see things. You both must leave me here."_

"_We are not leaving you like this," the pregnant werewolf spoke up. _

_Eternity agreed, "I'm not going anywhere, my love. I'm always leaving you, but no more. Besides, it's not as though you'd ever get near enough to harm Hayley. I'll ensure she stays safe. We're going to get through this together. All of us."_

_Time stopped mattering to him as he divulged deeper into his fevered state. It wasn't long before he was delusional, lost in visions without a concept of time or location or reality. Eventually, he started to see things, memories of his past. He saw the face of an old flame, one that he had met after the first time Eternity had left him. _

"_Celeste?" He questioned, before he realized he had been hallucinating. "Eternity, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."_

_Eternity shushed him and then teased him good naturedly, "Celeste? A witch you were involved with after we had parted ways the first time. She was quite beautiful. I can see why she captivated you, my love."_

"_Did I let you enter my thoughts?" He asked her with concern, before he tried to get up. "I'm not well. I should go. This is..."_

_The ethereal beauty grabbed hold of his arm to stop him. "Like hell you're going anywhere in your condition," she said firmly. "I'm not about to let you loose on any innocent people that may be out there. I'd be a very poor guardian, if I did."_

_Just then, at the same time, the two immortals sensed someone near by._

"_We're being watched," he murmured, looking at Eternity, who in turn looked up at Hayley and nodded to her._

_The female werewolf went to the window to look outside and saw something or someone. She went racing out the door and shouted, "Hey! Hey!"_

_Yet, it was to little avail. Whoever it was that had been out there had gone. _

_The Original immediately laid back down, purposefully resting his head in Eternity's lap this time. He took comfort in her presence, even as his body shivered uncontrollably and he continued to feel pained. He knew he could make it through with her watching over him. Though he was still too stubborn to simply let her heal him of his affliction. He didn't want to appear weak by asking her to aid him. _

_He continued to hallucinate, to see hauntings of Celeste, all the while Eternity remained with him. He anchored himself to his on and off lady love, trying to keep himself together, despite the memories that played through his head. _

_Speaking of his hallucinations, Elijah knew that young Hayley was still a danger and needed to be sent somewhere safer. He'd hate himself if anything happened to her or the baby, both whom were innocent. "Eternity, please," he implored her again. This fever. My mind is flooded with these torturous memories. You have to leave. You have to get Hayley somewhere safe."_

"_What is your deal?" Hayley chimed in. "You don't like people taking care of you?"_

"_There are consequences for those that care. I will not have you pay that price," he told her softly, sadly._

_Eternity sighed, "That's not true. Not all of us suffer consequences for caring about you. Even if I did suffer, I'd still stay here, paying the price willingly. What say you, Miss Marshall?"_

"_Yeah, me too," the wolf girl replied bravely. _

_The fevered Original huffed and wheezed as he asked, "What about our visitor? What does she want?"_

"_I'm guessing she's the one that left the mystery Bible on the doorstep last night," Hayley answered. "Would be nice if she'd stick around long enough to tell me why."_

"_Hayley, you came here to gather an information about your family, not to help play nursemaid to a vampire with a temperature," he said, trying to encourage her to leave the shack. "Please, find her. Learn what you can."_

"_No, I'm staying," she stubbornly replied. "Eternity is here. If things get too bad. She'll protect me. I'm not going anywhere until you're better."_

_Elijah went quiet, as he started to hallucinate again. He began seeing visions of his long dead witch lover once more. It was just as painful to remember as was the fever and aches that coursed through his body._

"_Celeste. Forgive me. I'm sorry," he whispered breathlessly. _

_Then the Original felt Eternity's little hand upon his forehead, as well as the warmth of her magic as it coursed through his mind until he fell into unconsciousness. For a while, there was nothing but a sense of peace, but eventually, he began to relive his confrontation with his out of control brother Niklaus and remembered the terrible deed he had committed in ousting the local witches, including Celeste. _

_The traumatic experience broke through the ethereal beauty's spell and he awoke with a start, as well as an alarming scream. He sat on the edge of the bed, breathing heavily, feeling the anger of that time course through him as if it were the present._

_Hayley had the unfortunate luck of being the one near him, as he hallucinated, thinking that she was Niklaus. He forgotten about Eternity in his madness. _

"_Elijah?" She spoke worriedly. _

"_Niklaus! I'll kill you, you bastard," he growled threateningly, as his hand shot out and he grabbed hold of the female werewolf by the throat, slamming her into the wall, thinking he was attacking his brother the entire time. _

_Terrified, Hayley called out to him again, just as she was beginning to fight for breath. _

_Then a sharp pain struck the Original in the back from an unknown assailant and everything went dark. _

_When he came to, the fever and the wound had been cured. There was a slight sparkle of Eternity's magic that flowed through his body, meaning the beauty had healed him, while he had been unconscious._

_As he got to his feet and saw the stake used beside him, he could hear talking outside. One voice was Eternity's, another was Hayley's, and a third was unknown, but most likely the wolf that had been watching for the past couple of days._

"_Hayley, I can save your people from this curse placed upon them, this night even, if you so wish it," Eternity was telling the wolf girl. "Yet, I am troubled still, about the witch of Elijah's past. Celeste is Sabine. She is the one who cursed your pack, but I fear that she may be back for revenge after what happened to her at Niklaus's hands, meaning she's gong to try and tear the Mikaelsons apart. She may even come for you - and your baby."_

"_Are you sure? How do you know?" Hayley asked. _

_There was a pause and then the immortal queen answered, "It is complicated to explain, but I could feel it in Elijah's memories of her. I could feel her as if I had been there. The energy signature I could sense was identical to Sabine's. Leave it to Elijah to get involved with the vengeful type."_

"_You need to tell him," the pregnant wolf spoke softly. "You are his soulmate or whatever. He'd probably take the news well, if it came from you."_

"_Soulmates?" Eternity laughed lightly. "I don't know about that. Though, I suppose our bond does seem unbreakable. No matter the trials or separations, we always find our way back to each other."_

_Hayley sighed longingly, "I wish I had something like that in my life. I could use a love like that, but I don't know if I'll ever have it."_

"_Oh, I wouldn't be so sure, my dear. I cannot see into the future, rules and laws and what not, but I do see the strings of fate pulling you toward someone, someone you, at this point, would scoff at. Yet, I do believe things will change and you'll have what you seek."_

"_Do - Do you -."_

_Elijah finally decided to make his appearance, coming outside and disrupting the conversation by saying to the blonde werewolf, who gazed at him with mistrust and a hint of fear, "Good evening. Think I might have something which belongs to you."_

_All three women stood and turned to him. He handed the stake over to the new wolf. _

"_Elijah, we've got this. Are you okay?" Hayley asked him._

"_The wound is healed, the fever is broken, but for some strange reason I have this sharp and lingering sensation in my back," he responded with a bit of annoyance in his voice. He didn't like to be attacked, no matter if it was for a good reason or not._

_As Eternity came to stand beside him with a sympathetic look, their companion turned back to her kin and said, "We have to get him home. But I'll be back, okay? I need to know more."_

_The strange wolf responded in warning, "Keep that mark covered up."_

_Not understanding what the other werewolf meant, he asked, "What happened? _

"_I just met part of my family," Hayley answered in awe._

_Elijah turned to Eternity then. He found himself smiling at her, despite the troubling things he had overheard about Sabine being Celeste. "Thank you for helping me," he told her with gratitude. "I am grateful to you, Eternity."_

_She smiled slightly in return, "Well, Mr. Mikaelson, you are very welcome. Although, you are a stubborn fool. You do realize we just spent two days out in the back country all because you refused to let me magic the problem away. I mean, at least something good came out of it. Hayley is beginning to find her long lost family, but Nik has been left unchecked. I fear what he has been up to while you and au have been here."_

"_Yes and Sabine," he added, eyeing her knowingly._

"_You overheard us," she realized. "Wonderful. Less catching up to be done. Shall we?"_

_As she moved to follow where Hayley had gone, impulse took Elijah and he pulled her back to him spontaneously, kissing her deeply. "Soulmates sounds lovely, Sweetheart," he murmured to her, as he rested his head against hers._

_Eternity said nothing, only laughter lightly and smiled lovingly at him._

_With that, the Original vampire, the pregnant werewolf, and the unicorn-woman made their way out of the bayou and back into the Mikaelson fray._

"Well, Brother, it seems good can come out of anything, even the treachery of your bastard sibling," Niklaus quipped at the end of Elijah's retelling of the events that occurred after he had bitten him all those years ago. "Not only did I help you two begin your reconciliation, but we were also able to discover the traitorous plans of your former flame before she could finish it. Well done, on my part."

Elijah's rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Yes, well done indeed."

However, the lightheartedness quickly left the older Original as he fell back into his despair, wondering if he'd ever climb out from under the ashes of tragedy and be able to see the beauty of the world again.

**To Be Continued...**


	7. Chapter 7: The Monster's Recovery

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

* * *

Another three months had passed since little Ari's first birthday party, meaning it had been a year since Eternity's death. Despite that fact, it felt like yesterday when she was dancing in the courtyard, putting on musical performances for his family, or taking on their family's enemies with a fierce fighting spirit. Elijah could still see her ghost everywhere. There still wasn't any escaping her memory.

Was this to be his end, he wondered. Was this to be his fate? To be is a state of forever grieving?

Then he saw his family gathered together at one of the many mini bars in very courtyard he often saw his's wife's ghost in. Niklaus was raising a glass and making a toast to Eternity on the official anniversary of her death, while the others raised their glasses as well. Each was somber and Hayley, as well as Rebekah, had tears in their eyes by the moving speech his little brother was making.

Tears formed in Elijah's eyes as well, as he watched from the shadows, unwilling to participate. He wasn't yet ready for that. Though, as he watched his family, he wondered if she could see this display of devoted honoring from wherever she might be. She'd probably be embarrassed, quite frankly, not being one to be fawned over like some kind of hero or deity.

That brought a smile to his face.

"E helped us through the darkness, sometimes, our own," Niklaus said to the gathered family. "We owe her a great debt, one that can never be paid, but we must each try by living as she would want us to - being better than the darkness that has plagued us for so long. We will honor her. To our sister, our friend, our guardian: Eternity!"

"To Eternity!"

From there, Elijah slipped away, heading to his study where he stood at the window, thinking about his dead wife as he did:

_It had been a rough time in the Mikaelson family. Niklaus and Hayley's daughter, Hope, had to be spirited away, out of fear that their enemies would come for the baby. For months, it seemed there was nothing but somberness as Rebekah kept the child hidden and the hybrid pair kept up appearances that their daughter was dead._

_Then, their once dead mother, Esther, had returned to the fray along with Finn and Kol, looking to undo the damage of the past, when she had made her children into vampires. She had wanted to put her monstrous children into new bodies, to give them new starts, but it was a trick. It had to be._

_At one point, their dear mother got ahold of Elijah, holding him prisoner for days to tempt him and torment him by unlocking the terribleness that lay behind the red door in his mind. He was rescued by Niklaus, because Eternity had been away temporarily, dealing with a crisis beyond the stars. _

_The ethereal beauty did return in time to wake the older Mikaelson from his tormented slumber in the aftermath of his mother's torture. However, Elijah was not the same after that. He was more monstrous, more willing to be be violent, to show less restraint. It was so bad that Niklaus had to hold him back from acting in that impulsive, murderous way that was usually his MO. _

_Esther found Rebekah and Hope. Therefore, his brother sent him to protect the child, despite how unpredictable and untethered from his usual control he was. He didn't go meet his sister with the immortal queen in tow. No, he went on ahead, while she helped Niklaus and the others. Then she would meet him later._

_He should have insisted she go with him, to keep him in check, but he didn't. He attempted to play off his affliction as minor, as if he had total control over himself. _

_Those poor, innocent people at that diner..._

_Rebekah had met him at some off the grid diner, in the middle of nowhere with little Hope in tow. She had seen the odd way he was behaving and then bore witness to the carnage he left hidden in the back room. _

_Needless to say, his sister did what she had to in snapping his neck and rendering him unconscious. _

_From there, he awoke inside a safe house, also in the middle of nowhere. A concerned Eternity was there, along with a worried Rebekah. The two women spoke quietly about what the female Original had seen at the diner and about his strange behavior, sharing their unease about this brokenness he was experiencing. _

_Then, as if they were a team, they approached him, as he stood in front of the fireplace, deep in thought over his own fractured mind. _

"_Well, isn't this place rather nice," Rebekah said cheerfully as she went through the wine collection, making a selection and picking up a bottle. "Nik must have compelled a wine-lover to keep it up, because I found a 2005 bordot! Fancy a sip?_

"_I appreciate the sentiment, Rebekah, but I do recognize when I'm being handled with kid gloves," responded Elijah with annoyance._

_His sister sighed, as she put the bottle down, "How are you feeling?"_

"_Patronized," he smiled tightly, as he looked at both women, before his gaze was stolen by Hope, whom was playing in her play pen beside him. "I am here to protect you."_

"_I know you mean to, Elijah -," began Rebekah._

"_And yet, you find it necessary to render me unconscious before bringing me here?" Elijah interrupted with even more annoyance. _

_His baby sister defended her choice, Well, you weren't yourself! And I needed to get us out of that diner. What happened back there?"_

"_I don't know," he tensed, as he sat down on an ottoman beside Hope. "Niklaus sent me to protect Hope. My job is to keep her safe."_

"_You are unhinged, my love," chimed in Eternity, coming over to kneel between his legs. "The darkness has taken hold of you in the most dangerous of ways - unpredictable and spontaneous ways. I can feel it, the fractures of your mind - the demons that have been unleashed there from three dark deeds of the past. You are in no condition to help anyone as you are, but we will get you mended in no time." _

_As she smiled and touched his face tenderly, Elijah grabbed a hold of her hand, pulling it away and kissing her palm affectionately. He didn't like the way she spoke about his affliction so carelessly in front of Rebekah, but knew she meant well. He didn't say anything in return, as he didn't want to say anything that could be seen as an agreement with her assessment of his state of mind._

"_Well, I'm going to go decorate this house for the season," Rebekah piped up, exiting the room quickly and leaving her brother alone with his lady. _

_Once she was, Eternity rose gracefully to her feet, a darker, more sinister look taking hold as she uttered, "Speaking of dark deeds, I'd like nothing more than to tear your mother apart for this, you know. For trying to turn you into the monster you are not."_

"_Aren't I a monster?" He countered. "A bloodthirsty, violent beast. I slaughtered those innocent people at that diner without a second thought, and that wasn't the first time I've ever killed mercilessly without care."_

_She gazed at him sadly, "Yes, you have, but we are all capable of doing terrible things as higher beings than mortals. Though, truthfully, even they are capable of the same wickedness we are. It doesn't make you a monster, only a lost soul that needs guidance to a better path, not unlike what you and I have been attempting to do for Niklaus, is it not?"_

_Elijah looked down at his hands, the very ones that had tore apart those dinning people. Though his hands were clean, he could only see the red stains of their blood and for a moment he could only hear their screams of terror and death. _

"_My love, you are not a monster," the ethereal beauty reiterated, as she knelt down again in front of him. "A monster wouldn't care about those lives he had taken. He wouldn't struggle with the wrongs he has committed against others. You are no monster, but you do need help, Elijah, and I'll be there when you're ready."_

_Eternity kissed his lips sweetly and then stood up with a smile, before she gestured to the front door. "Let's take little Hope out from some fresh air," she suggested._

_Elijah looked down at the baby standing in her play pin, looking at him, and with a small smile of his own, he reached for her. Picking her up, he followed his lady out to join his sister on the porch._

The Original's travels down memory lane were abruptly disrupted by Rebekah, who had little Arianna on her hip, as she came into the study. "She was calling for you," his sister told him, smiling at the his mini-me.

He came over and took Ari from his sister, holding his daughter to him. He grinned at her, while she clung to him, looking around excitedly as she did.

"You weren't at Nik's memorial for E," Rebekah ventured cautiously. "It was quite beautiful. Our brother certainly has a way with words."

"Oh, I was there, just not amongst the rest of you," he replied softly as he kissed the side of his daughter's head and then leaned his forehead against it. "It's still difficult for me to reconcile the fact that Eternity is gone. I'm not ready to move on, to say goodbye to her."

The blonde Original approached him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know."

Having his younger sibling there with him, while he held his little girl, sent Elijah back onto his current trail of memories:

_While Eternity helped Rebekah set up the planks for a bonfire, the older Original sat on the porch with little Hope, as she sat in a bouncy seat. He held her tiny hand as he smiled adoringly down at the child. _

"_It's alright, Elijah," his sister called to him with a smile of her own. "She won't break. Everything you did was in the name of protecting her. I'm not worried."_

_Eternity shot her a look, as if she wanted to make a counter argument to what the blonde Original had said, but ultimately chose to say nothing. _

_The older Original picked Hope up and held her against him, as he cooed, "Hi, Sweetheart."_

_He hadn't been paying attention to what the two ladies had been up to in the yard up until then, but finally he noticed their activity and frowned in confusion as he stood from his spot on the porch._

"_Is that what I think it is?" He asked his sister._

_As Rebekah walked back toward him with a smile, she answered, "It's bonfire season! And I am reviving a family tradition! Especially since we're all going to be together."_

"_Only because we're fleeing from one of our deranged parents," Elijah sighed. "Another Mikaelson tradition. It's a peculiar thing- never to be tired, yet forever exhausted by the sameness of things. Why is our family always at war?"_

_She smiled brighter at Hope and touched the infant's hand as she spoke softly, "I don't know. But, being away with her made me see things differently." Then she said to both him and the baby, "We're not so bad. We're not the monsters that our parents think we are."_

"_Exactly," chimed in Eternity as she threw a friendly arm around Rebekah's shoulder, who reached to hold the ethereal beauty's dangling hand. "If you lot were truly monsters, do you think I would be here with you, ready to take up my sword to defend you? I think not!" _

_Suddenly, a black SUV came speeding up the driveway. It was Niklaus and Hayley, come to be reunited with their daughter., of whom they had been separated from for months. The second that his brother stopped the car, Hayley was rushing out of the passenger side toward them. She stopped in her tracks upon the sight of her child, staring at Hope as if she couldn't believe her eyes._

_Elijah, Eternity, and Rebekah all smiled at her, while the older Original didn't waste any time in handing the infant over to her mother, who greeted the child joyfully. The three watched the touching scene unfold, as Hayley held Hope tightly to her, closing her eyes and breathing a sigh of relief, before she turned to Niklaus, who was nearly in tears and seemed frozen in place behind her._

_She went to him with their daughter, handing the infant over to her father. Hope cooed happily, as if she knew she had been reunited with her parents, while they smothered her in smiles and kisses. The happy little family had been made whole at last._

"_Do you think this reunion will be enough to finally bring them together, my love?" Eternity whispered to Elijah quietly as they watched them. She had been waiting to see her prediction come to fruition: that Niklaus and Hayley would finally come together, romantically speaking._

"_I do not know, Sweetheart," he replied just as quietly, putting his arm around her and pulling her into his side. "Though, I suppose we can hope it does." He kissed the side of her head in affection._

Later, Elijah found himself sitting with his daughter, as he rocked her to sleep. He could hear Niklaus and Hayley playing with their own daughter, Hope, down the hallway. They were playing pretend - a game of a big, bad monster and the two heroines.

He smiled to himself for the first time in a while, glad to see his brother so happy with his own little family. Though his happiness for the others took a turn. He felt the sting of loss, upon hearing such loving joy - and just as profoundly as ever, he continued to feel the giant void Eternity had left behind.

**To Be Continued...**


	8. Chapter 8: The Safe House

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

**Warning**: A small amount of smut is featured in this chapter! You have been warned!

* * *

Elijah had stopped sleeping like he used to and when he did, he chose to sleep in one of the empty guest rooms instead of the bed he used to share with his wife. The night of Niklaus's memorial to Eternity, he stood at the window of his guest room of choice and gazed out at New Orleans. He didn't want to sleep, but he didn't want to be awake either. He remained haunted by the memories of his wife, no matter of he was awake to asleep.

She wouldn't leave him in peace and he wasn't willing to let her go. He didn't want to.

Since he couldn't escape it nor did he want to, be allowed his mind wandered back, carrying on where his thoughts had left off earlier that day:

_Elijah had been battling with temptation - the temptation his manipulative mother had put into him. While she had him captive, Esther had tried to convince him to take a new body, to start over as a mortal, to live the normal human life he had been supposed to live a thousand years ago. He had denied her then, but the more he thought about while at the Arkansas safe house, the more he saw the appeal, especially with his terrible hauntings of his past atrocities._

_He had voiced his dilemma to Rebekah and from there, they had devised a plan to dissuade their mother from pursuing them further, believing if the ancient witch had a majority of Mikaelsons, she'd be satisfied. His sister had ultimately decided to sacrifice herself for the cause, by accepting the deal, so that they could be rid of their mad mother once again._

_Niklaus and Rebekah went back to New Orleans, leaving Hayley with Hope and Elijah with his lady to watch over them. _

_That evening, Elijah sat in front of the fireplace in the living room with Eternity sitting casually on the floor between his legs as they watched the fire dance. Then Hayley came in after putting Hope to sleep for the night, announcing, "She's asleep."_

_The two immortals gazed up at her simultaneously._

"_It's so quiet, with Klaus and Rebekah gone," the female hybrid said quietly, before she paused and began strangely nervous, "So, I have some to tell you guys."_

_They both looked at her quizzically, but remained silent._

"_Before I tell you, let me say that I hope you'll understand what I have to say," said Hayley. _

_Elijah looked down at Eternity and she glanced up at him. Both were confused. "And what is it?" The Original asked._

"_My wolves. I think I figured out a way to release them from the witches," she explained. "They could control their turning without the rings, and bring peace to our home so that Hope could return to us. But, there's a catch...I have to marry Jackson."_

_Eternity got to her feet immediately and drawing nearer to her as she said with surprise, "What? What about Nik? I thought you two were...growing closer?"_

_Hayley looked away sadly. Then she answered, "This was Klaus's idea. It's what he wanted. It's a, um, mystical ceremony, and- and an Alpha bonding ritual. I don't love Jackson, but...it's the right thing to do - for my people...and for Hope."_

"_What madness is this?" The ethereal beauty whispered in disbelief, before she spoke a little louder, "Hayley, I can help with the problems you face, regarding the division between the factions of this city. You don't need to do something so drastic as to marry a man you don't love."_

"_Marry him," Elijah chimed in, getting up from his seat and coming over to stand with the two ladies. _

_His lady looked at him as if she wanted to protest, but decided to hear him out._

"_Sweetheart, I know you ship Klayley, but this faction business isn't your burden to bear," he smiled slightly at her, before turning to Hayley, "Listen to me - the only way that this city will be safe for Hope's return - without divine intervention - is if you have unified your people, and I have unified my own. Now, Davina will eventually lead her witches, and whatever that girl may be, she is no enemy to your child. Do what you need to bring your daughter home. This is my wish for you, for you and Niklaus."_

_Eternity sighed deeply, "I don't like this refusal to accept my help in these matters nor you forcing yourself to marry a man you're not in love with, but if this is the path you are choosing for yourself, Hayley, I'll stand by you."_

_The female hybrid smiled at them, feeling relieved at their acceptance of this news. She gave the pale woman a tight hug and did the same for Elijah. "Thank you for understanding," she said, as she pulled away from the Original. "I appreciate it."_

_With that, Hayley left the room. _

"_I don't understand why you insist on keeping me out of these affairs, my love," Eternity turned back to the fire, clearly displeased with him over his blessing the female hybrid's loveless marriage. "You know, I can make things right without forcing Hayley to sacrifice herself for the cause. It's quite unnecessary."_

"_And yet, you're prepared to accept this," Elijah countered as he approached her, putting his arms around her waist from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. "If you feel so strongly about it, why do you not defy me and do what you believe is the right course? You are more powerful than I. You know, I cannot stop you."_

_The ethereal beauty sighed as she turned in his arms to face him, "Because it's not life or death, if Hayley does marry this other man. That and it's not as though she hasn't given her consent to do so. It's not wrong, but it's not fair."_

_The Original cupped the side of her neck, gazing down at her understandingly, before he leaned down and kissed her lips. "I get your concerns. I just hope that Niklaus isn't too broken up over this turn of events," he said, as he hugged her to him. "We both know that those two were growing quite close over these past few months. To have that bond torn from my brother, might have devastating effects, despite the fact that he encouraged Hayley to go through with this."_

"_Yes, poor Nik," she said, as she pulled back a bit to look at him with an adoring smile. "Though I suppose the road to true love isn't always an easy one."_

_Elijah grinned down at her, "No, it is not."_

_Then his mouth descended upon hers. He kissed her passionately and the moment quickly heated, carrying them away as they lost themselves in each other. These times had been so stressful and full of uncertainty that the Original that he felt he needed a moment to lose himself in the woman he loved more than anything. _

_Eternity must have felt the same way. She began to claw at his clothes, insisting on getting to the skin beneath, as quickly as possible. Her little hands made swift work of his tie, tossing it into the room. Then she tore open his shirt carelessly, buttons flying about. Her mouth latched onto his neck, suckling and nipping at the column, before descending down the exposed skin of his chest. _

_Elijah growled deep in his throat, before he fisted her hair at the back of her head and forced it back. The dominant in him came out the moment Eternity had attempted to take charge. He saw it as a challenge and was quite ready to assert his authority over her. _

_A beat and he was drawing her mouth to his roughly, while simultaneously lifting her up into his arms, so that her legs wrapped around him. He walked the short space to the small round table in the middle of the room, laying her down upon it's surface. He stared down at her, enjoying the way her dress pooled around her waist, exposing the bare skin beneath, and the panting, pleading, lusty way she gazed at him._

_Once more, Elijah's mouth fell to hers as he leaned over her. He pried her mouth open with his tongue and dove inside to taste her, while intimately grinding against her in want. Then he felt Eternity's hands trail down his chest and then further down still. _

_The shimmering beauty caressed his hardened length through his pants lightly, causing him to gasp into her mouth at the surprising and bold touch. Before he could react further, her hands reached and undid his trousers deftly. Then her hand dipped inside to caress his cock, gripping it in her fist and pumping him quickly._

_The Original's mouth tore away from hers with a groan that turned into a growl. His fiery gaze bore into hers, as he allowed her to carry on, enjoying the pleasure she brought him. However, before long, it wasn't enough. He needed more. _

_Elijah forced her hand away from him, pinning it to the table, while his other hand reached tho push his clothes out of a way, just enough to release him from the confines. He lined himself up with her entrance and slammed into her, filling her in one hard thrust. He groaned loudly at the sensation of joining his body with hers, his mouth momentarily parting from Eternity's as he did, before his mouth latched onto the side of her neck, laying kisses and nips down her throat. Simultaneously, his hips began to rock, pulling himself nearly out of her and then back into her harder and harder with every thrust. _

_This frenzied, passionate lovemaking was rough and full of raw need. They both climbed higher and higher in pleasure, with his mouth attached to gets, in order to keep her loud cries of passion as quiet as possible. It really wouldn't do, if Hayley heard them or if they accidentally woke up Hope with their activities. _

_Before long, they were falling over the edge together with duel muffled screams. He emptied himself into her body, while her walls clamped down upon him almost painfully so. Then he slumped against her, panting heavily as every nerve ending felt like it was alit with electricity. _

"_I love you, Elijah," Eternity murmured to him lazily, but with great affection for him. _

_Elijah grinned lopsidedly at her, feeling quite relaxed and carefree in that moment, "And I love you too, Sweetheart."_

The Original pulled himself out of his heated memories forcefully, having not expected to travel down that particular road...at least, not again. His breathing was labored and his pants felt tight. He gripped the frame of the window in a wood splintering grip. He released the casing and closed his eyes to calm himself against the needful feelings the recollections brought him.

It reminded him of his time with Camille O'Connell, when he was still battling his demons at the hands of his twisted mother:

_After executing Rebekah's plan for their mother, Niklaus returned to the safe house in Arkansas with his pretty friend Camille in tow. Apparently, she had a nasty run in with Finn and his brother had brought her to protect her from the deranged reborn Mikaelson. He had also returned to collect Hayley and take her back to New Orleans, so that she could prepare for her upcoming wedding, while helping him deal with their traitorous family members. _

_With the threats against them, the Mikaelson brothers, the werewolf queen, the human therapist, and the immortal queen all gathered in the living room to discuss what to do next._

"_Now that we've entombed our mother, I intend to finish making the city safe for Hope. Which, to start, means dealing with the lingering problem of Finn," Niklaus said to the group. _

"_Oh, once he figures out what you've done to your mother, he's gonna go off the deep end," Camille put in._

_Elijah's brother replied, "That's exactly why we need to keep you out of harm's way. Hayley and I will return home and take care of my wayward brother. Elijah will remain here with you, along with his lady love, Eternity."_

_Displeased by his brother's mention of his waywardness, Elijah carried on gazing out the window, pretending not to hear him._

"_He's been experiencing some side effects since his ordeal as our mother's captive," Niklaus continued. "Best he stay here and convalesce."_

_Finally, feeling patronizing, he turned to give his brother an offended look. "A single violent outburst at a filthy road-side café, and one never hears the end of it," he said with a tight smile._

_The hybrid laughed, "Oh, Cami has a way with minds plagued by demons, brother. You two can bond, while Eternity here makes certain you behave yourself and don't tear her apart."_

_Out of the corner of his eye, the older Original saw the human woman look over at him awkwardly. He, himself, was simply feeling uncomfortable._

"_Well, if you excuse me, I best be on my way!" Niklaus said cheerfully, as he rose out of his chair and made for the exit with Hayley in tow. "Rebekah should have already woken up in the body of Angelica Barker. Once she has cut the ties of Miss Barker's former life, she'll make her way directly here." He paused and smiled, "You should expect her shortly."_

_Then the hybrid pair left, heading back to New Orleans._

_Later on, while Camille searched through the kitchen cabinets and after Rebekah never showed back up at the safe house per their plans, Elijah had tried calling, worryingly leaving many voicemails for his missing sister. The latest one, hr sounded the most concerned. "Rebekah, it's me again. Please call," he said and then hung up the phone, troubled by his sister's seeming disappearance._

_Eternity was outside, practicing her swordsmanship. He briefly wondered if he should call her inside. Maybe she could help him find Rebekah. _

_However, he was distracted by the human woman, Niklaus had dumped on him, when she exclaimed happily, "Yahtzee! If there's one thing I've learned about you people, it's that there's always a bottle of booze around." Then after she procured the bottle of bourbon, she began to search through another cabinet for a glass, she called back to him, "You want one?"_

_Smiling condescendingly, as she moved through to the living room, he replied, "Sounds delightful. And after that, Camille, then what? We have another, and another, perhaps another after that, another after that... Before long, I find myself opening up to you, or "baring my damaged soul," as it were."_

_With the bottle and the glasses, as well as an old board game, the human woman sat down on the couch._

"_It's an old trick, Camille. Not a particularly clever one," Elijah said, almost bored. _

"_Your mother really did a number on you boys, didn't she?" Camille responded. "Has it ever occurred to you that I'm less interested in fixing your problems and more interested in forgetting my own? I mean, I'm basically in a supernatural witness protection program because your psychotic brother- who, by the way, I practically had to seduce- wants me dead." _

_The uncooperative Original sat down in an armchair next to her and watched her with little interest as she pulled out the Trivial Pursuit box and put it on the coffee table. As she did this, she said, "So, yeah...booze and board games is pretty much where I'm at right now."_

_Annoyed by her and worried about his sister, Elijah rolled his eyes. _

_Camille seemed to ignore his moodiness and pulled out a card, reading from it aloud, "Here's a question - what was the name of Don Quixote's horse?"_

"_This is absurd," muttered the Original, looking toward the window. _

_With a defeated sigh, Camille put down the card and picked up her glass of bourbon, "Fine. Dumb idea. So, do you want to talk about your trauma?" She casually sipped from her glass with a small, knowing smile._

_Elijah stared at her for a moment, weighing his options. Finally, knowing she had him beat, as he was certainly not ready to talk about or even acknowledge that he was suffering from a mental affliction, he sighed in defeat._

"_Rocinante," he said, answering the trivia question she had already asked, earning him a puzzled look from the well-meaning woman. He sighed again, as he leaned forward to grab the bottle of bourbon and pour himself a drink. "The horse's name is Rocinante."_

_Forty-five minutes later, the pair were still playing Trivial Pursuit. So far, Elijah had been able to answer every single question Camille had asked him, frustrating the woman to no end, causing her to ask questions at a rapid pace in an attempt to stump him._

"_What three European countries begin with the letter A?" The pretty blonde asked him._

_Rather bored, he easily answered, "Albania, Austria, Andorra."_

_While he made himself another drink, Camille made a frustrated growl, tossing the card haphazardly aside. Then she quickly asked him, "Agh! Okay, hey! Who was the only U.S. president to earn a Ph.D?"_

_The Original responded, "The rather tedious Woodrow Wilson."_

_She shot him an annoyed look, before she dove into the cards, throwing them about as she tried to find the one that would stump him. _

_As she did, Eternity came back into the house, finished with her practice. She came into the living room to see what they had been up to. "Ah! Board games and booze! Sounds like a good time," she smiled at the pair, both not exactly very cheerful themselves._

"_It would be if your husband here wasn't such a know-it-all," groaned Camille. _

_Both Elijah and Eternity looked at her. He shifted uncomfortably and smiled bashfully, while the ethereal woman simply smiled politely at her, as she corrected the human, "Elijah isn't my husband. Though, truthfully, he might as well be since we've been together so long. Perhaps one day."_

_Realizing she made a mistake in her assumption, Camille tried to smooth things over with a quick apology, citing how Niklaus told her that they had been together for a long time and she had assumed they had gotten married at some point. In her flustered and drunken state, she accidentally knocked over Elijah's drink onto the table and splattered some onto his shirt sleeve._

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Elijah. Here," Camille apologized for the second time, as she handed him a hand towel to clean himself up. _

_As he took the towel and proceeded to blot the alcohol from his shirt, Eternity came to sit with them, sitting in the armchair across from the Original with the intention of getting involved in their lighthearted activities. However, she never got the chance to, because as Camille looked over at him, she noticed Elijah's peculiar behavior. _

_He had started to calmly scrub the stain on his shirt, but then he grew more furious in his efforts. It had caused alarm in both Eternity and the human woman. _

_Camille called to him, "Elijah? Are you okay? Hey, Elijah —."_

_When she reached to touch his hand in her concern for him, Elijah's own hand shot out to grab her wrist to stop her. He watched as her eyes widened in alarm, afraid of what he might do. Even Eternity sat more taunt as she observed him. However, he only gently set the mortal woman's arm down, letting go as soon as he did._

"_I'm not as fragile as my brother suggests," he told her, calmly. _

"_Jury's still out on that, I think," quipped Eternity with a teasing smile._

_Before he could say anything back, his phone began to ring. A sigh of relief filled him, as he thought it was Rebekah finally getting back to him, after all his messages. He answered the call quickly, saying, "Rebekah, where on Earth are you?"_

_The woman that was supposed to be possessed by his sister politely told him that she wasn't whomever he was trying to get in contact with. _

"_I see. No, I must have been dialing the wrong number. Forgive me," replied Elijah, as he hung up the phone._

_He felt rather distressed by the fact that something had gone terribly wrong with Niklaus and Rebekah's plan to have her inhabit another body and infiltrate their mother's operations. His sister was still missing and he didn't know where she could possibly be. He quickly got on the phone again to discuss this troubling news with his brother, in which Niklaus told him to stay, do nothing, and let him deal with whatever had gone wrong._

"_Maybe you should let me go and see what I can find out about Rebekah," Eternity suggested once Elijah had hung up the phone with his brother._

"_No, Sweetheart, not yet," he replied, as he reached to caress her face. "Let's let Niklaus deal with this and stay put for now."_

_She frowned, but didn't protest further. _

_A little while later, the Original was standing at the living room window alone. Eternity had gone outside to do more practice. He was having another episode of tormenting flashbacks of him chasing after Tatia, while covered in blood, toward the red door. He began to hyperventilate and gasp for breath. He attempted to regain control of himself to no avail._

_He didn't even hear Camille enter the space, as she called to him, "Elijah? Elijah, are you okay? Hey, I know you're worried about Rebekah..."_

_Elijah felt her hand upon his shoulder and he turned sharply, lost to the darkness inside him. His vampire visage emerged as his bloodlust took control of him. He didn't even register the human woman's fear as she backed away, calling to him, pleading for him calm down. Her pleas weren't enough to return him to himself. _

_Just then, Eternity entered the room. "Elijah!" She shouted. _

_That had been enough to get him to remember himself. He sped away, vanishing from the room. He went to stand outside on the porch, to catch his breath and ensure he didn't harm Camille or Eternity for that matter. Not that he could harm the latter. _

_Speaking of the ethereal beauty - the love of his life - she approached him outside. She didn't look angry, disappointed, or afraid, only understanding, as she came around to face him. In fact, she merely smiled sympathetically and then threw her arms around his waist, holing onto him tightly. He held onto her too, wrapping his arms around her just as tightly with a kiss to her head._

_They didn't speak. They simply clung to each other. _

_Then, after a short time, his phone rang and parting from his lady, Elijah answered it. It was Niklaus with news about Rebekah. He hadn't any luck finding her yet, but he ensured him that he was on top of things. Elijah didn't like not doing anything to help, but his little brother insisted on him remaining where he was,_

"_So be it," the older Original sighed, just as Camille tried to sneak onto the porch without them noticing. "I shall remain here with the hopelessly courageous Camille. She certainly has charisma, though she does lack stealth." He smiled and turned to face the woman. "Let me call you back," he said to Niklaus, and then hung up the phone, as he approached her._

"_I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just thought you left," Camille said apologetically._

"_I owe you an apology," he told her. "My sister's missing, my family's in jeopardy, I am...uh, utterly powerless to help them. This is not a state of affairs I'm accustomed to."_

_Eternity couldn't help but roll her eyes at him exasperatedly, something he caught out of the corner of his eye. Of course, she believed that she should be taking care of all their problems, that if he allowed her to, hr wouldn't feel the way he did - at least, not in regards to his family's current issues. He effectively ignored her. _

"_Perhaps I'm not weathering this ordeal as well as one would hope," he admitted to the human woman, as well as the immortal one. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say next to Camille. Then he murmured, "Forgive me."_

_She smiled, accepting his apology, before she replied, "If you ever want to talk about it, it's kind of what I do."_

"_I can aid your broken mind as well, my love" Eternity chimed in, coming to stand beside him with her hand taking his. "Between the two of us, I'm sure we can undo the damage done."_

_All three of them smiled at each other, while the two women headed inside before he followed suit._

"Elijah..."

The Original snapped out of his reminiscing and turned sharply into the room. He had heard Eternity's voice, but when he looked, there wasn't anyone there. The guest room was empty of anyone else.

"Elijah..."

He heard it again. Confused, Elijah looked around the room, wondering if he was going mad. Maybe he had been spending too much time thinking about his dead wife that he was beginning to hallucinate hearing her voice. After a time of waiting to hear the sound again, he realized that it was gone, whatever it was.

Yes, he concluded, he was definitely going mad...

**To Be Continued...**


	9. Chapter 9: The Spark of Hope

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

* * *

Elijah had heard Eternity's voice, but he had quickly dismissed it as an illusion of his own creation, out of the grief he continued to feel at the loss of his beloved wife. The reason why he believed it wasn't real was because it didn't happen again, after that night several weeks ago. He had hoped that it had been real, that a further sign that maybe, just maybe his lady was out there still, trying to reach out to him. However, the Original eventually let such hopeful folly go.

One evening, he had been invited out by Niklaus and Kol. They invited him to go with them to Rousseau's for drinking and merrymaking, as brothers. He had reluctantly agreed to go with them, thinking that a change in scenery would help get his mind of the woman that haunted him still.

"You've been sulking about for too long, Brother," Niklaus said to Elijah as they sat at the bar. "You need a distraction, to take your mind off of your grief, even if only temporarily."

"I only came, because I knew you wouldn't stop asking until I said yes," the older Mikaelson replied as he sipped from his glass of bourbon.

Then a young woman approached them, before his little brother could respond. She was pretty with dark hair and dark eyes. She was short in stature, but with a curvaceous frame. She smiled sweetly at Elijah specifically and began to flirtatiously engage him in conversation.

The Original was polite to her, charming even. He talked to her easily, finding her amusing with how she tried to be casual in her flirtations, while it was obvious she was attempting to 'hook up' with him, as they say.

Unable to help himself, Elijah thought about what Eternity would do, if she had been there at the bar to witness this woman trying to attract his attention. Then he recalled a situation in the past, that involved another woman, and how his lady had dealt with it:

_When Esther had first returned to wreak havoc upon her children, Elijah had acted, seeking a witch who could tell him when his mother body jumped and into whom she jumped into. Eternity couldn't help him as she had yet to meet their mother and therefore, it would have taken her longer to find the Mikaelson witch than it would be by asking a local witch for help. _

_Along with his lady, he had went to Marcel, knowing that he might have a witch that would be willing to help him. At first, the younger vampire had been reluctant to cooperate, but eventually, after Elijah had pointed out the daylight ring upon a baby vampire named Gia, he told him of a witch that might be willing to help, sending the new vampire with them as a guide. This was because Marcel believed that Elijah could help the young woman learn about her newfound vampirism._

_It was a trick to get him involved in the new vampire community, the former King of New Orleans was trying to build. Yet, the Original was anxious to deal with his mother. Therefore, he reluctantly and irritatedly accepted the assistance. _

_After a lot of patronizing toward the poor woman, Eternity had intervened, pulling him aside and telling him that he shouldn't be such bastard to Gia, whom simply needed help in learning what she had voluntarily signed up for. She sympathized with both the girl and with Marcel's attempt to build a new community to replace the one he had lost when Niklaus and Elijah had returned to the city. _

"_Just give being a mentor a chance," the ethereal beauty had told him. "You are a good teacher, if not a bit mercilessly harsh. Actually, forget what I said. I shouldn't allow her to be subjected to you, my love. You might make the poor girl cry." She had smiled and laughed at her teasing of him. _

_Then Eternity had grown serious, "What is wrong with helping Marcel in his cause? What is wrong with helping a new vampire, lost and uncertain of how to live in her new life? I think it might be good for you to take on a task that doesn't involve death and bloodshed."_

_So, Elijah had taken on the task, while his lady had stayed out of it. She had chosen to aid Niklaus, while he was busy helping Gia. This was because she had wanted to keep the number of people aware of her existence to a minimum. She even made him promise not to mention her to the new vampire girl, to which he agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly. _

_It had become obvious to him that Gia was attracted to him, and while he did find her attractive, he wouldn't ever trade Eternity for anyone else. Yet, he couldn't make it clear to the baby vampire that he was spoken for. Therefore, the poor dark beauty had lead herself to believe that they could potentially be together, as it appeared he was unattached. _

_Then, after moving out of the Mikaelson compound into a loft apartment in Algiers to assemble allies for the fight against the imminent threat of Dahlia, things took a turn when the witches wanted Rebekah, whom inhabit another body, dead. _

_Elijah went to seek out a powerful witch by the name Josephine LaRue, whom was the one who wanted whomever Rebekah had once been dead. He sought answers from her and had brought Gia along to help show the witch with no love for vampires that they were more than monsters. He had thought that by charming the old woman with the talents of his young protege, that maybe they could reach an understanding that didn't endanger his sister. _

_Before they had left to meet with Madame LaRue, the baby vampire had told him that he 'needed a woman to mess up his life a bit' in a mildly flirtatious way. He had wanted to correct her, but to honor his promise to his lady, he remained quiet. He should have told Gia and then asked forgiveness from Eternity, but he had simply wanted to respect the pale beauty's wishes, understanding why she wanted to remain hidden from the new vampire._

_After a rather tense meeting with the elderly witch and a successful mission to give the old bat what she sought: Vincent Griffith freed of Finn's inhabitance and returned unharmed in exchange for Rebekah to be left alone, Elijah allowed Gia into his apartment for a simple friendly victory drink. He hadn't thought anything of it, having simply wanted to show his gratitude for her assistance._

_They had sat down and talked about their victory, when the baby vampire began to study him and the atmosphere began to shift in a way he hadn't intended. _

"_Is everything always ten steps ahead of the game with you?" She asked him casually._

"_Well, often victory is allowing your opponent to believe that they are triumphant.. until they're not," he replied easily._

_Gia smiled at him, "Okay. Just remember who sealed the deal!"_

_He nodded, "Credit where credit is due." _

_Elijah held out the beer bottle in his hand and clinked it together with hers in a display of companionship. Afterward, he nervously tugged at his tie to loosen it. He continued to feel that shift increase and was unsure of how long he could hold out without revealing Eternity. He wanted to simply come clean, but his wanting to honor his woman's wishes remained strong. To say he was conflicted in how to proceed was an understatement._

_Then the Original felt the atmospheric shift come full circle when Gia started to loosen his tie with her fingers further and murmured, "I told you - you needed a woman to mess things up for you." _

_After that, she made a bold move, before he could say or do anything to dissuade her. The baby vampire leaned over and kissed him passionately!_

"_Well, well, what do we have here?" _

_Gia parted from him sharply, both turning to see a seemingly calm Eternity standing at the window. Startled, she jumped up from the couch, looking across the room at the flowing woman and then at Elijah. Her dark eyes were wide with alarm and confusion._

"_Forgive me. I do not mean to frighten you, young one," Elijah's lady turned to face them gracefully, her flowing white and pink maxi dress shifting with her movements flawlessly. "However, I would suggest you find your amusements elsewhere."_

_The newbie vampire didn't move. She was frozen in place. Most likely due to the way Eternity shimmered in the low light of the room and the way her impossibly long white hair moved around her as if it had a life of it's own. Then there was those piercing sapphire eyes of hers that stared deeply into one's very soul with every look. _

_The Original was so used to her that he barely noticed these things, but he knew that a new set of eyes would see all the mythical, powerful beauty of the otherworldly woman. He rose from his own seat to approach Gia, noticing the great big tears that formed in her eyes and the way she seemed captivated by the sight before her. _

"_Gia, it's alright," he murmured to the young woman, simply in an attempt to break her out of this spell she was under, the one that she couldn't escape from no more than Eternity could turn off. _

"_Who? Who are you?" The new vampire asked, her voice cracking with involuntary emotion. "Elijah, who is she?"_

_Elijah sighed nervously, "My lady, Eternity."_

"_Wh-What?" Gia questioned in disbelief. "She's your girlfriend? You have a girlfriend?"_

_Without any ill-will toward the other woman, she politely said, "I truly do not mean to be rude, my darling. However, if you do not wish to be on the wrong side of me, I suggest you leave here. If you'd be so kind."_

_The baby vampire frowned, but didn't protest. She smiled awkwardly at Elijah as she went to collect her coat and then left the loft. _

_The awkwardness didn't leave with her, as the Original looked at Eternity and she gazed at him with an unreadable expression._

"Elijah..."

He was pulled from his memories immediately. He had been casually talking to the beautiful woman still, while reminiscing about his dead wife. However, his conversation had been abruptly halted as well, when he heard the echo of his name being called in Eternity's voice again.

"Elijah..."

He heard it once more and quickly climbed off the bar stood to look around in confusion. He looked over at his brothers whom were gazing back at him with concern. "Did - Did you...hear that?" Elijah asked them.

"Hear what, Elijah?" Kol wondered.

"I swear I heard Eternity's voice calling my name," he replied, uncaring about how crazy that made him sound. "I heard it once before, but thought I was just going insane, but I heard it again, just now."

His wily little brother smirked, "Oh, I definitely think you're mad, Elijah, but maybe it's not a sign of insanity - this hearing the voice of your dead wife."

Elijah and Niklaus both looked at the younger Mikaelson with the same curious expression, as they both wondered the implications of what Kol was saying.

"Are you saying that Eternity could be alive?" Niklaus asked their younger sibling.

"Not necessarily," he shrugged. "She could simply be communicating from beyond the grave, but there is the slight possibility that she's alive. She does have those psychic powers of hers. Maybe she's alive, yet injured and unconscious. Perhaps E is trying to reach out, to let you know she's not dead - or maybe it's involuntary. I don't know, Brother, but all is possible where E is concerned. That's all I'm saying."

Elijah looked down in consideration of what Kol was saying. He had allowed himself to briefly hope that Eternity had been alive when last he had heard her voice. Yet, he had quickly refused to allow himself to hope for long, not willing to feel the devastation if she wasn't, if he had been going crazy after all.

However he couldn't help but wonder now: could it be possible? Could she still be alive and out there somewhere? One thing was for certain: Kol was right about the fact that where Eternity was concerned, all things were possible.

The older Original quickly excused himself from his brothers' company. He needed time to think on this.

He found himself across the river in Algiers, not far from where he used to temporarily stay, all those years ago. He stood at the river, looking out at the French Quarter he had just come from, with his hands casually in his pants pockets. He closed his eyes, as his mind was in a state of chaos, battling with the hope that Eternity was alive and the refusal to let himself believe it possible. He knew that if he allowed himself to hope and was disappointed, he'd never recover. He was barely hanging on as it was, even after a year without his lady, because of the hauntings of memory he suffered from. He was lonely, lost, and afraid he'd always remain that way.

Elijah sighed deeply and wondered when, if ever, he'd see the beauty in the ashes of his tragic loss? He wanted to. He didn't want this hurt that prevented him from seeing anything other than the dull blackness of pain anymore.

He would see beauty again, he concluded, but only if Eternity was somehow alive.

Yet did he really dare to hope for such? Was it worth the risk of losing himself forever?

**To Be Continued...**


	10. Chapter 10: The Beauty Out Of Ashes

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

**Author's Note**: This final chapter took a while to be posted (mostly because I forgot about it...sorry), but finally it's here. I hope you enjoy it - and don't forget, if you liked this one and you haven't read my other Elijah x Eternity (aka Elinity) stories, feel free to check them out! As always, thank you for reading! It's greatly appreciated!

* * *

Elijah found himself wandering aimless in Algiers and then somehow realized he had wandered to his old loft apartment, standing in front of the old building.

As if it called to him, he entered the loft.

It was as he had left it all those years ago. Though, there was an inch of dust everywhere due to neglect. The electricity still worked and he turned on the lights to cast away the shadows. He moved about, as if in a trance, touching the shelves and the furniture with nostalgia.

Then the Original caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. Curiously, he looked over toward the rows of windows.

And what he found there...took his breath away...

No...

It's not possible...

The shadowy white figure turned as if she was floating and smiled back at him. "Hello, my love," she said, tiredly.

"Eternity?"

Elijah couldn't believe what he was seeing. In fact, at first, he believed himself to be hallucinating seeing her there. Perhaps, his mind had finally fractured and he was beginning to see her as if she were real, as if he could reach out and touch her.

"I am really here, Elijah," Eternity smiled at him, reading his thoughts. "I know you thought me dead, but I can assure you that I am very much alive...and recovering, but well enough to come home."

Immediately, he was across the room, standing in front of her. For a moment, he didn't dare to touch her, he only looked at her. Then Elijah made that move, reaching out to cup the side of her face, before he pulled her to him, holding her to him tightly. He felt her arms around him, holding him just as tightly.

"Eternity...oh, Eternity!" The Original murmured, feeling tears of joy enter his eyes as he was overwhelmed with relief and utter happiness. "Where have you been? Damn you...where have _you_ been?"

"I'm sorry, Elijah. I didn't mean to leave you to grieve me," the ethereal beauty replied, her voice muffled against his body. Then she pulled back to gaze at him, grinning slightly, "At least, I didn't actually die, unlike someone I know. Surely you remember that one time you did end up dead, slain by the Hollow, leaving me to mourn. Remember, my love?"

Elijah smiled, nodding as he kissed her passionately. "Yes, but at least, you were afforded the opportunity to come and rescue me then," he told her, as they parted. "If you had died, as I thought you did, there is nothing I could do to bring you back to me. I'm so glad you're alive and well, Sweetheart." He kissed her once more. This time, his tongue sweeping into her mouth to taste her as he thought he'd never be able to again.

As they held each other and showered each other with affection, the Original found himself recalling that time his thought long lost wife had mentioned:

_Before Eternity had taken it upon herself to defeat the Hollow, while nearly ready to give birth, Elijah and his family had attempted to deal with the vengeful spirit themselves. They had tried to find the bones that would allow the creature to be resurrected, to keep them out of the Hollow's possession. However, the underestimated their foe and in the end, had failed to do so._

_Then Elijah had been captured, meant to be sacrificed, so that the Hollow could resurrect herself. His family had attempted to find a way to save him and destroy the powerful spirit, but were unable to do so in the end. He had perished...but not without the hope of resurrecting._

_Freya had cast a spell to save his life force or soul as she put it, putting him in the same pendant that she had pout Finn's essence into long ago. However, the blue pendant had shattered, leaving the Mikaelson witch to put it back together and find him, to ensure he was whole and not fractured still, like the trinket had been._

_She had gone into his mind, to find him, to ensure that he was alright before she put him back into his body. However, he had remained elusive to her, as she searched through his memories for the one he had chosen to cling to. This was because he had gone to the deepest, darkest part of himself, not any memory. Though, his older sister hadn't known that._

_After her failed attempt, they, his gathered siblings, had talked and argued about what to try next, when Eternity, pregnant as she was, had told them that she would go retrieve her husband. She had demanded Freya to relinquish the pendant to her, which the Mikaelson witch had with some reluctance. _

_With the pendant in hand, the powerful immortal had entered his mind and without hesitation, had gone directly through the infamous Red Door. This was where he was, where he had gone. He was lost to the darkness in there. The stench of blood and death permeated everything, but he didn't care. In fact, he reveled in it, in the hunt, the violence, the brutality. _

_Then as he sat in the darkness of that shack of a room, he sensed her. She was there, but all he thought about was the hunt, the violence, the blood to be gloriously spilled. "Elijah," she called to him cautiously. "Elijah, it's me, my love. I'm here. I'm here to take you home."_

_He rose from his seat, tossing aside the body of a victim he had killed, as he did. He turned to the ethereal beauty, yet he didn't recognize her. He only recognized another victim to be slaughtered. He advanced on her, while Eternity remained bravely unmoved by his surely threatening presence. _

"_Elijah," she continued to try reaching him, backing away as he advanced on her. "Stand down. Elijah? Please. I don't want to fight you. I'm just here to help bring you home." _

_Still, he failed to hear her, to realize who she was. Elijah remained stoic, silent, dead eyed, as he continued to approach his prey. He wanted the kill. He wanted the rush his victim's fear gave him. _

_Yet, Eternity seemed to sense this and chose to deny him, coming to stand perfectly still as he came within inches of her. She was tense, but unafraid as she stared up at him. Then a look of surprise crossed her features as he reached out to caress the side of her face, almost lovingly, almost as if he knew who she was._

_Elijah craved her fear, as much as her blood, and he would have both. The second Eternity relaxed at his touch, he grabbed onto her neck, lifting her off her feet, and slamming her down on to a nearby table hard. _

_Still, the shimmering woman did not show fear, only determination. She stared at him and he stared back, before she lifted her hands and grabbed the sides of his head. "You will remember yourself, my love," she grunted. _

_It was almost instantaneous, but the darkness receded and the Original did remember himself. Immediately, he backed off, horrified by his actions, by what he was prepared to do. "Eternity?" He murmured mournfully. _

_The immortal queen, his wife, quickly exited the room of the Red Door, beckoning him to follow her. He did, shifting from the long haired barbarian he had been inside that wicked room and back into the well-dressed, controlled vampire he truly was. _

_Still cautious, Eternity kept her distance in the bright, white hallway of his mind. She stared at him with wariness, as she determined if he truly was himself again. "Elijah?" She called._

"_It's alright, Sweetheart, it's me," he told her gently, wanting to reach out to her, but held back, keeping his hands in his pants pockets. "I'm here. Please, forgive me."_

_The ethereal beauty smiled, "There is nothing to forgive, my love. Your mind is whole. I can bring you home."_

_Elijah looked down and frowned. Her belly was flat where there should have been an impressive baby bump. _

"_Oh, don't worry. I've very much still pregnant," she laughed slightly, despite the traumatic experience she had just endured. "I chose this pre-baby mental form, just in case...things got rough wherever you were in here. It's a good thing I did, just saying."_

_The Original's frown only deepened. "You shouldn't have come here," he told her disapprovingly. "You should have left this task to our family."_

_She held up her hand to stop him, "Listen, my love, you can chastise me all you want for my choices, once I restore you to your body. For now, sit tight and we'll be together soon."_

_With that, his wife had vanished from his subconscious. _

_When next Elijah seen her, he had awoken inside a coffin, whole and alive. Eternity had saved him._

"You know what, Sweetheart, I'd rather not remember that time I died and you saved me," the Original told his lady, as they parted from their kissing. "It wasn't a very pleasant moment."

Eternity grinned at him, "Oh? Well, I think it was a spectacular moment, because if you hadn't been saved, then I couldn't do this."

Immediately, her mouth attached to his forcefully, her tongue pushing itself into his mouth, while her hands fisted his suit jacket and pushed him against the nearest support beam. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist as she continued to kiss him hotly, despite her obvious fatigue.

Elijah growled needfully in response, wanting nothing more than to give into the passion that had sparked between them in that darkish, dusty loft. His desire for her only grew as she ground against him wantonly, while she dominated their kiss.

God, did he love this woman and he had missed her so much.

Her aggressiveness sparked a memory - a continuation of the Gia incident, or rather, the aftermath of it:

"_Eternity, let me explain," Elijah said as soon as Gia had scampered away quickly, after having been caught kissing him by the ethereal beauty. "It's not what it looks like. I -."_

_In a flash, his lady had him by the lapels and slammed harshly against the nearest support beam before he could even finish speaking. She stared up at him wildly, before her mouth latched onto his in a fiery, dominating kiss. _

_When she pulled away, she gruffly told him, "I don't blame you for Gia. She didn't know and you never told her about me per my request. If anyone is to blame it is me. I should have never put you in such a position."_

"_Then what is with the aggressive behavior, Sweetheart?" He asked her breathlessly, his own lusts coming to life from the burning gaze she gave him._

"_I might not blame you, but like you, I don't like it when others touch what is mine," growled Eternity._

_Elijah chuckled at her, but was quickly silenced by her mouth reattaching itself to his. From there, she had her way with him, stripping him of his clothes as quickly as possible and proceeding to ride him for all he was worth right there and then until the wee hours of morning._

_And he had allowed her dominance without complaint._

The Original was brought back to the present by the sound of Eternity's pain and the feel of her going limp in his arms. He went on immediately alert, seeing her so weak and frail. "What's wrong, Sweetheart?" He asked her, holding her up, so that she didn't crumble to the floor.

"Perhaps, I am not as recovered as I thought," she smiled weakly.

He frowned deeply at her, before picking her up into his arms. "Come on. Let's get you home, where you can rest," he said, as he proceeded to carry her out, so that he could use his vampiric speed to take her to the compound.

"And to see our daughter," she added softly, as she closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. "I cannot wait to hold her again. I've missed you both so much."

Elijah smiled, "We've missed you as well - and the whole Mikaelson clan. There has been a lot of mourning and tears around our family home."

She sighed, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

The Original couldn't help but to grin wickedly, though with her eyes closed, she couldn't see it. He put his lips near her ear and murmured in a quiet growl, "Well, once you're rested, you can make it up to me in the most delicious of ways. You'll be begging me to stop, by the time you're done making it up to me."

Eternity, who was barely awake by this point, smirked, "I look foreword to it."

Elijah chuckled as he kissed her forehead. He was so relieved and so happy that she was alive after all. In his joy, he looked up at the moonlight sky, seeing the beauty of the world around him again. Finally, he could see the beauty out of the ashes.

With that thought, he sped away with his lady, taking her home to where she belonged, where they would live happily ever after as a family made whole again.

**The End**


End file.
